To Fill the Void
by Sally Hartley
Summary: Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. *Mostly OCs with the major characters from the show in the background*
1. Prolog

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

* * *

She woke up coughing up sea water. She gasped for breath; her body shook and ached at the same time. Her skin itched from being covered in sand and her clothes were ripped. Where was she? How did she get here?

Surveying her surroundings, the twelve year old girl was on a beach. The sun was climbing the sky, indicating that it was still morning. The air was already warm and becoming humid. So far, no one was around. The waves were softly rolling on the shore, and the birds were flying in the sky.

It was a beautiful place, calm and quiet. But she could not stay here. She needed to find food, water, shelter, and people if they inhabited this land. The idea of going back in the water to wash the sand off her body was terrifying and calming at the same time.

Flashbacks played through her mind of being in the ocean during the storm. It sent wave after wave crashing over her. They took her deeper and deeper under water. She tried to swim to the surface, but she was tossed around so much she did not even know which was up. She had convinced herself that she was about to die when a bright light surrounded her.

"You will be safe." A voice whispered in her ear.

She looked for the voice and saw a beautiful girl floating in the water with her. She looked like an angel with long white hair and in a glowing white dress. It was the Moon Spirit.

"I will protect you." The Spirit reassured.

The next thing she remembered was waking up on the beach. The ocean scared her, but she knew she would be safe. The Moon Spirit promised to protect her. Once the sand was gone from her body and hair, she returned to the shore and decided to walk along the beach. If anyone lived here, she would probably have a better chance of discovering them on the beach than getting lost in the forest.

She walked for a little while. The sun was perfectly overhead and her clothes were dry when she came to a wall. It stretched out into the water a little ways. She heard laugher and shouting and desperately looked for a way to climb the wall so she would not get her clothing wet again. Realizing there was no other way, she ran around the wall; grateful that the water only came up to her knees.

When she cleared the wall, there were people playing in the water, building sand castles, and bathing in the sun for as far as she could see. Relief swept over her.

She ran to the nearest person. A child about her age was digging a hole in the sand. He jump at the sight of her and ran away.

"Please help me!" the girl cried. But no one could understand her. Her voice was horse and broken from screaming during the storm. The sound that came out was more like a growl. She tried again with another woman, and she too ran away.

The girl fell on her knees and began sobbing. No one would help her. They were all afraid of her because she looked crazy with her clothes torn, her hair a mess, and sand started to cover her again.

A shadow cast over her. The girl looked up from her misery and saw a bunch of boys a little older than her. They all had a mean look on their faces.

"What's your problem? Why are you chasing people and scaring them?" One boy asked. He must have been the leader of the group.

"I'm not trying to." The girl tried to say.

"If you keep scaring people, I will have to scare you." The boy started to bend fire with his palm and held it up for her to see.

The girl jumped to her feet and started to back away. "Stop!"

The boy came closer with his gang right behind him. "You don't tell me what to do!"

"Look at her eyes!" one boy pointed out. "They're blue with brown and green spots! She has demons' in her eyes!"

They wasted no time and shot fire at her. She barely ducked out of the way in time. Her instincts took over and she went into a fighting stance. She called the water from the ocean to her and bent it to protect herself.

All of the bystanders who were in range gathered their belongings and ran from the scene. The remaining boys formed a semicircle and also produced fire. They all took turns attacking the girl. She held her own for a while, dodging and striking with the water whip to each opponent. The realized that they could not take her down on a one on one fight; so they joined together and shot fire out of their fists simultaneously.

She made a shield and protected most of her body, but one fire blast caught her arm, leaving behind a burn. She screamed in pain, drawing attention to the fight. It did not take long for someone to intervene.

"What is going on here?!" a man shouted. He was dressed in a loose fitted red robe with gold trim and a sword tied to his side. His charcoal grey hair was tied in a bun on the back of his head. He had a goatee that hid part of his face. His eyes blazed with enragement at what he just witnessed.

"She just showed up from the other side of the wall and started terrorizing everyone!" The leader defended.

"So you thought shooting fire at her would solve this issue?" The man asked in a stern angry voice. The boys started shaking in fear. "Leave this area. Now!"

The boys did not need to be told twice. They ran as fast and far as they could to the other side of the beach. The man waited until they were out of sight before addressing the girl. His blood was boiling and did not want to take it out on a helpless little girl.

When he turned back around, she was gone. He followed her footsteps to the wall then into the water. He walked around the barrier and saw her sitting in the sand. She was in agony holding her burned arm, trying to get control on her emotions. His heart ached to help her.

She saw the man come around the wall and she stood up to run further away, but tripped and fell over her ripped clothes.

"Wait!" the man held up both hands carefully tried to soothe her. "I want to help you."

She was so terrified she was shaking and sobbing. It ripped his heart to pieces at the sight. He came closer, but kept a few feet away to not further frighten her. He knelt down and rested an elbow on his knee.

"My name is Piandao. What's yours?" the man asked with a soft smile and kind eyes.

"Um, I don't know." The girl cried. That realization caused the tears to flow even harder.

The man was alarmed by this, but he would get nowhere if she remained hysterical. "It's alright. We will figure that out. Try to take some deep, calming breaths." The girl attempted to do that, but her breathing was still too rapid. She started to sway a little, like she was about to pass out. "Slower, slower. That's it, nice and easy."

The girl was starting to calm down. Her breathing was slower and she wiped her face dry. She thought a little more than spoke softly. "I think my name is Ami."

"Like Ah-mEE? Or A-mee?" Piandao asked.

"Ah-mEE." She clarified.

"You have a beautiful name, Ami. Where are your parents?"

"I don't know that either. " Ami shook her head.

"How did you get here?"

"I woke up on the beach down there." Ami pointed to the other side of the beach.

"Were you alone?"

"No. The Moon Spirit was with me." Ami answered. "She promised to protect me."

Piandao was quiet for a moment, studying the young girl. He pointed to her burn, "I have some healing salve at my umbrella. My wife Mila is there as well. Would you like to meet her and I can help with the burn?"

Ami stilled for a second. She was nervous to go anywhere with him. But she wanted and needed help. If she felt scared, she would run away. She nodded and stood up when he did.

"They said I had demons in my eyes." Ami whispered.

He stopped and kneeled down to her level. He looked square in her eyes to see what she was talking about. "You do have very unique eyes, blue with brow and green speckles. That mutation is something to be admired. You have beautiful angelic eyes."

Piandao led the way back around the wall down the beach to a woman who was sitting under an umbrella.

She was strikingly beautiful and roughly the same age as Piandao. Her dark brown hair was glittered with gray. She looked kind and generous.

"Hello!" she smiled at Ami.

"Ami, this is my wife, Mila." Piandao introduced.

Ami whispered so softly, Mila could not hear her. She looked to her husband for clarification.

Piandao sensed the insecurity and redirected the attention. "Why don't you sit down on the blanket and I will get the salve."

Mila scooted over to make room. She looked to her husband for an explanation. He shook his head letting her know he would explain later. "Are you hungry, Ami?" The young girl shook her head.

He found the salve at the bottom of the bag. "Can I have your arm?" Ami carefully held it out to him. She was shaking and in pain. He gently applied the salve and it instantly cooled the skin. He found a bandage as well and wrapped it. "I don't think it will scar. Those boys are poorly disciplined and weak in their bending." Mila picked up an extra blanket and draped it over Ami's shoulders.

"Thank you." Ami said louder for them to hear.

"Excuse us for a minute," Piandao stated. He stood up from the blanket and motioned for Mila to follow him. They walked far enough away to not be overheard, but close enough to keep an eye on Ami.

"Where did she come from?" Mila asked.

"I think she was on board a ship and fell into the ocean from the storm. She washed up on the beach on the other side of the wall." He explained.

"Oh my! We should report this to the authorities. Her family could be searching for her." Mila raced on the conversation.

"I would like to take her back to the house and get her some food and clean clothes first. Then we can alert the authorities. She did not remember her name at first and does not know where her family is."

"This is awful. Let's get going so the poor thing can be reunited with her family." Mila turned and went back to the umbrella.

Piandao was happy to see his wife willing to help this child, but it made him sad thinking about how unfair it was that she was never able to be a mother. He reminded himself that right then, Ami needed their help. There was no time to dwell on the hurtful past.

They gathered up their belongings and led Ami to the stairs of the beach house they were staying in. Right away they were greeted by servants and took the items to be put away. They all looked a little weary of Ami.

"Ami, can I take you upstairs to get you a change of clothes?" Mila asked. "I will have one of the servants try to repair yours."

Ami nodded and followed Mila upstairs. She looked back to Piandao, who assured her with a nod.

Once the women were out of sight, he called for his head butler, Kon to follow him into the small study. "I need a message sent to the Chief of Police." He quickly explained what he knew about Ami and wrote the message. He asked for the Chief to come to the house so he could report finding Ami. However, he was going to leave out the waterbending. Despite the war being over, there was still some prejudice against people of the other nations. He did not want Ami to be put in danger. He finished the letter and Kon had another servant high tail it to the station.

About an hour later, Mila returned with Ami to the dining room table. She was washed and had on a clean robe. Her arm was bandaged over the burn to keep out infection. A plate of food was placed in front of her on the table and she looked over the food curiously.

Mila explained what the items were, making sure to keep the food on the safe side. There was bread, some fruit, and vegetable of some kind. She poured three cups of jasmine tea. She did not want to force Ami to eat anything, but she gently encouraged her to satisfy her grumbling stomach. She took a bite of bread, and realized how hungry she really was. Once she was finished, Piandao explained the message.

"I sent a message to the chief of police here on the island. I wanted to notify them that you have been found, so that your family can come for you. He is on his way here to make the report."

"Will I have to leave?" Ami asked with a look of fear.

"Only if you want too." Mila interjected.

Piandao looked at his wife. He did not want to see his wife get hurt by getting too attached to the child. "You may have to go to the police station. But if you do, we will go with you. You will not have to be alone."

"Why do I have to go there?"

"I'm not sure," Piandao answered truthfully. "But if I had to guess, it would be to finish the report. Then you can come back here and stay as long as you want until your family comes for you."

"Thank you." Ami felt like crying again. "I can't remember who they are. I don't think I have a family."

Mila took Ami's hand and gently squeezed it. "I bet they are searching the whole island to find you. By reporting you found, I bet the chief will bring your family with him."

"But I don't know who they are. I can't remember who my family is." Ami was staring at the table. She was searching her memory for some clue of who her family was. All she could remember was the Moon Spirit. Tears were forming in her eyes and Mila hugged her.

"It's alright," Mila said and Ami hugged her back. "You will not be alone. We will help you."

Later that afternoon, the Chief of police arrived. He took down all the information he needed to help reunite Ami with her family. He did learn that Ami was a waterbender. He gravely stated that no one has reported any missing children, and no people from the other nations have been reported on the island. This worried Piandao and Mila greatly that they may never find Ami's family. Even more disturbing, she could possibly have been forsaken by them.

He explained that he would like them to stay on the island for another few days before they returned to the mainland. The police would be in contact when they had any information. He did ask Ami how she felt about staying with Piandao and Mila, giving her another alternative of staying at an orphanage. He explained that it would be to her benefit to stay where she was, giving Piandao and Mila his full support. He also encouraged that they take her to a doctor to get fully checked out.

Ami trusted Piandao and Mila and wanted to stay with them. She also trusted the Chief of Police that he would do everything he could to help find her family. She knew she was safe and would be cared for. It really bothered her that she could not remember anything about her family or where she came from. The only thing she knew for certain that she was a waterbender. So she had some form of water tribe in her background. Narrowing it down from the Northern, Southern, or Swamp water tribes was going to be difficult.

They took her to the doctor who did a physical on Ami. Other than her amnesia, her burn, and a few bumps and cuts from her time in the storm, she was perfectly healthy. The doctor explained that her memory may never return. The best way to help it along would be to surround her with various objects and people that linked her to her past.

Mila saved Ami's clothes. They were torn beyond repair. And Ami did not like to look at them because it reminded her of the storm. It triggered some sort of post traumatic stress. Mila removed a special embellishment from the garments. It was some kind of tooth about the size of a child's palm with carvings on it. She decided that she would turn it into something different that would hopefully inspire good memories. She took a special chain and turned it into a necklace.

A few days turned into a week. Piandao asked for permission to return to his castle with his wife and Ami. The Chief would send for them to return if they heard anything. Ami was satisfied to go with them. They loved and cared for her as if she was their own, and she learned to love and care for them as well.

Mila presented the tooth to Ami, who was hesitant to look at it at first. On their way to the castle, she started to accept the fact that it would take time for her to remember her past. It was still extremely difficult at times. But the tooth reminded her that she did have a family somewhere.

Piandao and Mila never discouraged her from asking questions or trying to remember. They were worried about her bending. Prejudice feelings of other cultures in the fire nation were a real problem. They did not want Ami to be treated poorly. They asked her to keep her bending a secret, and asked that she train only in the privacy of their home. But with no one around to be able to teach her how to control her bending, Ami's gift was stunted.

Noticing this frustration and Ami's curiosity, Piandao trained her to be a sword master. Once the summer ended and there was no word from the police of Ember Island, Mila enrolled Ami into school.

Months faded into years, and still no word about Ami's family. Piandao and Mila were sad for Ami, because they saw how this affected her. But they were so happy to finally get the chance to be parents.

Ami tried to not let her sadness of her real family show around her adopted family. Sometimes she would have dreams of her old life or a distant memory. But as quick as it came, it vanished in the back of her mind. As she grew, Piandao became her dad and Mila her mom. She resigned herself that she may never know what happened to her real family. The life she was living was truly a blessing since she nearly died in the storm; she would not take the second chance at life for granted.


	2. Chapter 1

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

 _Pronunciations_

 _Ami: Ah-mEE_

 _Tula: Too-la_

 _Nolaan: No-lawn_

* * *

It was still dark and the moon was in the sky. Ami got out of bed and opened her window, gazing at the brightness. The sense of calmness and strength comforted her. She took a deep breath through her nose and out of her mouth. Changing into her loose fitting wrap robe shirt and pants; she did her morning stretches before beginning her workout and meditation.

She worked her core, legs, arms, and back with various poses. She kept her breathing consistent and held the positions long enough to feel the burn. She focused on her mental and spiritual wellness as well as the physical. She made it through her routine and concluded it with supporting her body weight on her hands, with her feet straight up in the air. A knock on the door nearly broke her concentration. She was able to save herself from falling on her face and keep her body supported.

"Come in." Ami gritted through her struggle.

"Lady Ami, are you alright?" Celine, the house keeper, asked with concern as she opened the door. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were doing your workout."

Ami slowly lowered her legs down one at a time and took some deep closing breaths. She picked up the towel from the hook on her bathroom door and wiped the sweat away.

"Your mother would like you to join her for breakfast." Celine set out a robe and slippers.

"Wonderful, I will be right down. Thank you." Ami quickly bathed and dressed in the robe and slippers. She walked down the stairs and went to the dining room.

"Happy birthday!" Mila jumped from the table and rushed to hug her daughter.

"Thank you, mom." Ami smiled and returned the hug.

"Sit down and have some breakfast. Saina will be here an hour to help you get ready for the party."

The women sat down and a servant came and filled their plates with a simple meal and cups with tea. They discussed the finishing items for the party while they ate.

"I was informed by the cook that the food is being prepared and will be ready just as guests arrive." Mila checked off her list. "The garden is ready to be decorated. Once we finish here, I will direct the servants on where to put the decorations. Have you thought any more about how you would like your hair done?"

Ami sighed and set her tea cup down. She did give it some thought. However, since she had such different hair from all of her friends, all suggestions have not been helpful. She had long auburn red curly hair, with beige skin. She was the poster child for the pervious Fire Nation Colonies. Not that she would know for sure. All of her friends had dark hair and ivory skin. She was hoping the professional would know what to do. "I'm open to suggestions."

"Okay, when she gets here we can talk about it. Did you ask Celine to have what you are going to wear tonight washed and pressed?"

"Yes, it is hanging up in my closet."

"Good morning, ladies." Piandao poked his head into the dining room.

"Good morning, dad." Ami smiled.

"Mila, may way do it now? Before she gets whisked away until the party?" The sword master asked.

"That sounds perfect." Mila stood up and collected the list. "Would you come with us, Ami?"

Needless to say, their daughter was intrigued. Piandao led the way out of the house to his workshop.

"Ami, we are so happy that you are a part of our lives and honored to call you our daughter." Mila began. "Even since you came to us, you have been training with various weapons and working on your bending."

"Since you have chosen the sword, it has become a part of you." Piandao continued, putting an arm around his wife's shoulders. They stood side by side to give their blessing. "Tomorrow, under my supervision, you will forge your own sword. It will be built with the materials you desire. It will be a special sword, unlike any that you have ever worked with, because you will craft it."

"And once it is finished, we will take you to Republic City. There you will learn from waterbenders trained in the Northern, Southern and Swamp style. So you can learn about who you are, and have a little piece of who you've become." Mila could hardly hold in her excitement. "Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday, Ami." Piandao smiled.

Ami was in awe. "Oh my goodness! Seriously! I get to make my own sword and learn how to waterbend from masters?! This is a dream come true!" she hugged both of her parents. "Thank you! I'm so excited. Can't we start today?"

"Not with the party tonight." Mila shook her head.

"Tomorrow will be soon enough." Piandao assured her. "Besides, your mother has been planning this party for months. I would like to make sure we both make it to your wedding day."

"Oh, you!" Mila shook her head and Ami laughed. "Now let's get inside. I'm sure Saina is almost here."

Ami hugged both of her parents one more time and thanked them. These gifts were so amazing. Finally, she would learn to control her natural element that is so much a mystery to her. She had mastered a few moves, ones that were memorized in her muscles. But without much knowledge of a foundation, she was not able to strengthen that part of her.

She had been begging her father to let her make her own sword for years. Ever since the first time she watched him make one, she wanted to be able to have one of her very own. She had assisted him in making many others, including swords that were given to the princess when the Fire Lord requested she learn another form of discipline other than bending. Ami's skill had vastly improved. However, when she would ask her father when she could, he would reply that she was not yet ready. After a few stern lectures, she learned that if she was patient the time would come.

And here it was. Already she was counting the hours until she would get to start crafting. She had drawn up many designs in the past to prepare herself. Looking at them now, she did not care for any of them.

Ideally she would have started drawing right then. Her mother had other plans. No sooner had they returned to the house, Saina arrived. Ami was rushed up to the washroom and instructed to use special products on her skin and in her hair. She came out of the bath feeling clean, exfoliated, and refreshed.

Saina went right to work on her hair. They had met before and worked on her mother's hair so she knew what she was working with. Before long, her hair was dry and ready for action. Ami expressed that she did not want to hide her curls. She was pressured by a few people to try to straighten her hair. And that idea did not suit well. She was proud of her curls, proud of herself, and would not hide who she was. She was not raised to be ashamed that she was different from everyone else in the Fire Nation. She liked being unique.

While she waited for her hair to be styled, Ami used an ink stick to draw up a new design for her sword. She discarded a few pieces of paper, unhappy with the results. She had finally decided on a combining two of her favorite ones to create the best design.

It was a traditional katana design. It would be a steal blade, forty inches long, with the moon engraved on both sides. The handle would be wrapped with blue, green and white tsukamaki. The blue symbolizes the ocean, the waterbending that rests inside of her. The green symbolizes her growth, physically, emotionally, and mentally. The white is symbolic to the Moon Spirit with her guiding light and purity.

"Alright, I'm finished." Saina announced. She handed Ami a small mirror and instructed her to use it to look in the big mirror. She would be able to see her hair from all angles. "What do you think?"

Saina really liked the change of pace with Ami's hair. She suggested that instead of taming the curls, she would pin back the front to keep it out of her face. The rest would be down. Then add the jeweled head piece that sparkled in her hair and down over her forehead.

"It's perfect! I love it!" Ami smiled. _This day just keeps getting better and better._ She thought. "Thank you very much."

"Now we have to do your makeup."

An hour later, Ami was standing in front of the mirror. Her outfit was teal a crop top, the skirt rested on her hips and just a couple inches off the floor. There was a long golden and sparkling sash that wrapped over her shoulder and partially covered her belly. She wore her tooth necklace and a single silver bangle on her wrist. With her hair and makeup done, she felt like a mystical spirit.

She could hardly recognize herself. The woman staring back at her was more than beautiful. She was stunning. Ami never thought of herself as ugly or unattractive. Being of a different nationality than all of her friends, she stood out like a sore thumb. Her mother and father helped her understand that yes, she has a different background than everyone else. But that did not make her any less special or important. She was unique and should be proud of herself.

"Oh, Ami! You look amazing!" Mila was standing in the door of the bedroom. "You were always beautiful, but today you are radiant."

Ami blushed. "Thank you."

"Now that you are ready, would you come downstairs to get your father and I greet our guests. A few of the duelists have arrived. Saina, can I send someone to come and help you so you can come and enjoy the party?"

"No, thank you, m'lady." Saina shook her head. "I just have a little tidying up to do. I will be right down."

"Please stay and celebrate with us?" Mila asked.

"I would be honored."

Mila and Ami made their way down stairs, and found Piandao greeting more guests. The women joined him in the greeting and having the servants escort them out the back doors to the white lotus rock garden. It was transformed into a small sword jousting arena with multiple rows of chairs circled around it.

The castle was built on a plateau overlooking the lush green cliffs of the mountains and the rushing river. A cool breeze was a relief from the scorching hot temperature. It was all mesmerizing.

Food and drink were being served to the guests as they laughed, mingled, and admiring the scenery. The garden was starting to fill up with people and all of the duelists arrived. Almost everyone was accounted for.

Piandao kissed his wife on her cheek and his daughter's head. "I'm going to see to the duelists, and I will meet you at our seats."

"Is everyone here?" Mila asked one of the servants, whom shook her head.

"Not yet. Tula-" Ami began but was cut off.

The door burst open and Tula came running in. "Happy birthday!"

Ami sighed with relief and hugged her friend. Tula has been her best friend for as long as she could remember. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Sorry, you know I'm never on time for anything!" Tula explained.

"Yeah, she's going to be late to her own funeral." A male voice called from outside.

"As opposed to being early?" asked another.

"Nolaan!" Ami was even more excited. She had a crush on Nolaan for a while now and only Tula knew about it. He brought his closest friend from the academy, Wos. "You brought Wos with you too! Thank you for coming!"

Ami went to grade school with Tula and Nolaan. As they grew into adulthood, Nolaan went off to the naval officer academy. Ami and Tula went to the University political science and communications. They made a point of spending free time together when they could. As time went on, it was getting harder and harder to do that.

They last time they were all together was during the winter festival. They went out on the town with more friends from school. That was when Ami and Tula met Wos for the first time. It was one of the best festivals she ever experienced.

"Wonderful! Tula and Nolaan are here! Come in, come in! Tula, they other dancers are upstairs finishing getting ready. And who is this?" Mila motioned as Tula went around her and ascended the stairs.

"Mom, this is Nolaan's friend Wos from the academy." Ami explained.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Wos." Mila smiled. "The tournament is in the white lotus rock garden. There is food and drink being served, as well as chairs for you to watch the dueling once it begins. Wos, I will have a chair ready for you as well."

"Thank you." Wos bowed to Mila.

Nolaan bowed as well and quickly hugged Ami. "Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday, Ami" Wos also hugged her and then followed his friend out to the garden.

Ami blushed and smiled as she watched Nolaan walk away.

Mila picked up on this and smiled at her daughter. "Nolaan is a nice boy."

"Yeah." Ami's smile grew.

"Is he single?"

"I think so."

"Hm." Mila nodded. Ami turned and looked at her mom skeptically. Before she could say anything, Mila started walking toward the door. "Shall we take our seats, birthday girl?"

Everyone was seated circled around the white lotus training floor awaiting the start of the tournament. The duelists were waiting patiently for their turn. Ami, her family and close friends were seated with an empty chair for Tula, on the rear balcony of the house overlooking the facility as well as the beautiful mountains, the river, and the valley.

Master Piandao stood from his chair on the balcony and waited for the crowed to be silent. "Welcome and thank you all for coming today to celebrate my daughter Ami's eighteenth birthday. Upon her request, we are happy to host a tournament, welcome to anyone who wishes to participate. The winner will receive an honorary medal and a hand crafted sword made by me and my daughter." Servants held up each item as he motioned to them. "As well as a tournament, there will be a feast in her honor."

Everyone clapped and cheered. "To open our tournament, the dancers of Mu Sing Academy will perform a number from their spring show."

Seven classical firebending female dancers centered themselves on the lotus pattern of the floor. Ami's friend Tula was a bender and apart of the performance. They were dressed in flowing chiffon dresses of various colors. They told a story of celebration of life with the coming of spring.

They music started out slow and soft with string instruments, horns, flutes, and gentle drumming. The dancers came to life one by one, like flowers blooming out of the snow. With a pause in the music, the dancers greeted the audience with grace and poise. Tula smiled up at Ami, who grinned back anxiously.

BOOM!

The drums and horns rang out loudly and the dancers exploded into action. Their movements were quick, precise, and agile. Everyone clapped, oooh'd and ahh'd over the graceful movements of the dancers and their bending. It was truly wondrous. They received a standing ovation when they concluded their performance. Ami was so proud of her friend Tula, who was on cloud nine about the attention in the final pose.

The dancers cleared the floor and the dueling master of ceremony stepped into the center of the floor.

"This sword jousting tournament will be held with the rules of single elimination after the best of three rounds of dueling." The Master of Ceremony explained. The two swordsmen entered the floor on opposite ends and came to stand at the center with him. "From the first bracket, swordsmen Mackin and Li-; how do you say your name, young man?"

"It's Ligh, as in light but without the 'T'." The swordsman explained.

"Thank you,' the master of ceremony smiled. "From the first bracket, swordsmen Mackin and Ligh will be the first to joust."

They bowed low, maintaining eye contact with each other. The master stepped out of the way but remained close enough to referee the duel. The ring of the bell sounded and they sprung into action.

"What did I miss?" Tula asked, taking her seat next to Ami.

"The Master of Ceremony just announced who was dueling." Ami explained.

"Who is who?"

"Mackin is the one dressed in all black. Ligh is the one in orange."

Mackin was able to defeat Ligh in the first two rounds. It was pretty clear who the more practiced swordsmen were by how quickly the preliminary duels ended. There were four preliminary duels. Once they were completed, the Master of Ceremony announced the secondary duels. They would be more evenly matched and more exciting.

The first was a little more aggressive. Getting minor injuries are expected in tournaments like this. One of the duelists received a decent slice on his bicep. With the break in his concentration and strength, he was defeated by his opponent.

The second was a nail biter. It was by far the longest duel and went to all three rounds. That had only occurred in two of the four preliminaries. Both were getting tired and started to slow down when one tripped over his own feet. Losing his balance also lost him a shot in the final duel.

After the secondary duels, there was a small intermission. The two remaining duelists, Mackin and Odom were given the opportunity to rest a little before the final.

The final duel was between Mackin and Odom. They bowed and took their stances. The bell rung and they began circling each other. The air was thick with tension and all of a sudden, the attacked each other. They swung their blades and they clashed loudly. One would strike high, and the other would block. When someone struck low, they were blocked again. They battled for another few minutes when Mackin lost his footing and Odom took advantage of that. He closed the distance and knocked Mackin on his back and pointed the tip of his sword at his throat. The first round was over and went to Odom.

Each opponent took a drink of water and wiped away the sweat. They came to the center and got into their stances and waited for the bell. It rang loudly. Odom let out a battle cry and ran full force at Mackin. He blocked the attack and swung back. Odom jumped back and was forced to keep back stepping. He went far enough to get out of range and leaped forward again. This time, Mackin was ready and tripped him to fall on his stomach. Mackin kicked Odom sword out of his hand, ending the second round.

Odom stood up and nodded to the master of ceremony. Mackin also nodded, signaling they were ready to start the final round. Both duelists were breathing heavily. The bell rang for the last time through the crowd. Mackin advanced his attack wildly. Odom blocked and spun out of range. Mackin advanced again and again. Odom blocked every attack. Both were focused only on each other, not hearing the cheers from crowd. They spun in and out of each other's reach, battling high and low. They were becoming more resourceful of their surroundings. Mackin used the tip of his sword to flick dirt up into Odom's face. This was legal, but a dirty move. This caused him to cough and he closed his eyes. Mackin took the opportunity to knock away his sword and forced him to his knee. The third and final round went to Mackin. He grinned down a Odom, but helped him to his feet.

The master of ceremony stepped between them and help Mackin's arm in the air. "The winner!"

The crowd roared and jumped to their feet. Mackin waved to the crowd loving the attention. Ami accepted the medal from the servant and Piandao picked up the sword before accompanying Mila to the lotus floor. When they arrived, the master of ceremony instructed Mackin to kneel.

"Ami and I crafted this sword for the winner of the tournament. The blade is made of iron from the earth kingdom and the handle is hand carved from a special stone from the Western Air Temple. Use it well." Piandao presented the sword to the young man.

Ami stepped forward and draped the medal around Mackin's neck. "Congratulations on your victory."

"Do I get a congratulatory kiss from the beautiful hostess?" Mackin boldly asked.

Ami blushed and bit her lip to keep from laughing. She glanced at her parents to see their reaction. Piandao raised one eyebrow at his past pupil, and Mila was flabbergasted. Piandao looked at his daughter before nodding.

"I don't think my father would like it if my mother kissed you." Ami smiled, Mila laughed with her daughter, Piandao shook his head.

Mackin smirked at her, "Well how about a kiss from you?"

She thought about her answer before she spoke. "I'll kiss you…" Everyone was surprised by her answer. "If you defeat me in a duel." The crowd oooh'd at her challenge.

"Fight you?" It was Mackin's turn to be surprised. "But you're a girl."

"Yes, that was the consensus the last time I checked." Ami smirked back.

"Master Piandao?" Mackin looked his old master for help.

Piandao glanced at his wife. She looked annoyed at the young man, but was satisfied that her daughter called his bluff. "The offer has been made."

Mackin stood and bowed to Ami. "I accept your challenge."

"Very well." Ami bowed back. She turned and went to one of the tents at the far end of the floor. Mila sent a servant to fetch Ami's training clothes and returned to her seat with Piandao. Ami quickly changed her clothes and stretched her muscles.

Mackin waited for her for about ten minutes. He was getting restless and excited about this duel. When she came out, he checked her out from head to toe. He noted his favorite parts of a woman and silently approved of Ami. He was a few years older than her, and knew her during her awkward preteen years. She grew into a beautiful unique young woman. Any man would appreciate what she had to physically offer.

Finally they both approached the center of the floor and bowed. The master of ceremony rang the bell and the duel began.

Ami wasted no time. As soon as the bell rang, she rushed forward and attacked. This surprised Mackin. He looked a little taken aback that she would be so swift with her movements and forced him to take several steps back. She was graceful and fluid, like the ocean. She came at him, wave after wave of strength and power. Her speed kept him on edge. She came at him from all angles.

He was able to block her without much struggle. He wanted to see what she was capable of. He loosened his grip the handle and let her fling it out of his grasp. He grinned at her as the bell rang out, ending the first round.

Ami raised her brow at him. She knew that he let her win and she did not appreciate that. However, she held back her skill and only gave him a taste of what she could do. She shook her head at him, letting him know that she knew what he did. He only grinned wider. She assumed that Mackin thought he would wipe the floor with her, but held back on the first round to appease her. He wanted to try to win her over so he let her win.

DING!

The second round began. They circled each other for a moment. Ami was determined to be patient this time. He swung high to crash down on from above. Ami used both hands to block. He stepped close so they could feel each other's labored breaths. He smiled down at her again, while she remained passive.

With as much strength as she could muster, she pushed him back. She hoped that he would stagger back and she could attack him again. Instead, her feet came out from under her and she fell on her back. He was about to disarm her when she rolled away and jumped to her feet. He attacked again and again, circling her like a wolf snake. She was able to keep up with his speed and block him. He kicked out his foot just enough that as she was stepping backwards she tripped again and landed on her back. He jumped on her abdomen and held his sword under her chin. The second round went to Mackin.

He helped her to her feet and winked at her. She rolled her eyes at him and went back to her starting position. He was a talented swordsmen, she would give him that. But he was also arrogant. He was so confident in himself making him overly cocky. That was his downfall. She was regretting her offer to kiss him if he won. She knew that he did not really care about her. He just wanted to have bragging rights about her.

Ding! The third and final round.

Now Mackin took his chance and charged at her. She blocked him and stepped out of his way as he ran a little past her. He came again and she spun and blocked to try to get out of his reach. With her sword above her head, he took an opening and snapped the flat part of his blade against her backside. Half of the crowd laughed and the other was dead silent. Ami's face flushed at his boldness and he smirked at her. Her patience was gone. He must have been a real pompous jerk if he thought by humiliating her further would win him any favors.

Ami circled him, and would not let her rage show. She stepped in his reach on purpose to make him come to her. He fell for it. He stepped to her, and she nicked his shoulder. He was shocked that she would actually harm him. Blood started to fall down from the wound. It was not a deep cut or very long, but the message was received.

He was angry that she got the better of him and he lashed out. He came at her from many different angles and forced her to step back. She blocked him and shoved him away. He staggered back and purposely dug the tip of his blade in the ground and flung dust and dirt in her face. She knew that he would likely do something like this to her, but she thought he would be a little more original the second time around.

Ami stepped back and chose not to wipe her face clean. She closed her eyes and listened for her opponent. He was trying to right himself as he watched to see what she would do. He took a deep breath and charged at her with a loud battle cry.

She remained still for him to get close enough. She dropped low and used his weight against him. His feet went flying over his head, landing on his side, and his sword went out of reach. Ami opened her eyes to see where he ended up and pinned him to the ground with the tip of her sword at his throat.

The bell rang out and the crowd cheered and clapped. Ami was not satisfied with the win. She did not like humiliate people nor be the once to pass judgment on someone. However, Mackin had agitated her more than anyone else in a long time. She looked down at him and held out a hand to him. He was trying really hard to not glare at her when he accepted her help. It was equally hard for her.

They bowed to each other again, Mackin silently seething that he was beaten by a girl. She walked over to the master of ceremony and took the prize sword. She represented it to Mackin who at first refused.

"You beat me." Mackin shook his head and lowered his gaze to the ground. "It's yours."

"I don't want it. I made this for the winner of the tournament, not myself." She forced it into his hand. She whispered to him so only they could hear. "I would have said yes, you know."

Mackin looked into her unique eyes bewildered.

"I would have kissed you as you asked, if you would not have embarrassed me in front of all of my guests." Ami explained. "Girls don't like to be made a fool of." Mackin nodded his understanding. She plastered a smile on her face and turned toward the crowed. She took his hand and raised it in the air. "Your winner, ladies and gentlemen!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and clapping. Ami was leaving the floor when looked up to her parents who were smiling down at her and clapping. The sight of the people behind them caused her to stop in her tracks.

Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Mai were looking down on her from the balcony with their eight year old daughter and retired general Iroh.

Piandao and Mila noticed their daughter's sudden change in demeanor and followed her gaze behind them. They hurriedly stood from their chairs and bowed at to the royal family. When they rose, they turned and smiled warmly down at Ami. They spoke for a couple minutes then lead the guests inside.

All the guests saw the encounter. As soon as they departed, the crowd erupted into conversation. Tula, Nolaan, and Wos all looked down to Ami with questioning looks. Ami shrugged and shook her head. Ami went into the tent to change back into her party wear. She checked her appearance in the mirror before returning to the celebration.

The sun was going down and the sky was getting dark. Celine had the servants begin to light the lanterns and torches. The White Lotus Rock Garden became the congregation area. The musicians began a gentle ballad and some guests began dancing. Others ate and drank as refreshments were offered to them. Ami mingled with her guests while she waited for her parents to emerge from their meeting.


	3. Chapter 2

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

 _Pronunciations_

 _Ami: Ah-mEE_

 _Tula: Too-la_

 _Nolaan: No-lawn_

* * *

 _Meanwhile, inside the study behind closed doors…_

"It's an honor to have the royal family in my home." Piandao smiled at his guests.

"It's an honor to return." Fire Lord Zuko replied. "Your daughter is quite skilled with the sword. You taught her very well."

"Thank you." Piandao wrapped his arm around his wife shoulders.

"She's our pride and joy." Mila added. "Can I offer you any refreshments?"

"Jasmine tea would be lovely," Iroh chimed in. His great niece, Izumi, smiled up at him and nodded. "Make that two, please."

Mila left the room to ask a servant to bring it. Piandao waited for her to leave before addressing what was on his mind. "To what do we owe the honor of your pleasurable company? You, of course were invited, but we were under the impression you had previous commitments."

"We are in need your help. But if you wouldn't mind, I would prefer to wait for your wife to return." Iroh explained.

Piandao was surprised by the announcement, but agreed to be patient. Mila was back in just a few minutes.

"As a friend, I am asking you for your help with an investigation." Iroh began. "Threats have been made to my nephew, his wife, my great niece, and me. These threats have been clear in the intension of a rebellion and eliminating us to restore my brother to the throne."

"As your friend I am happy to be of service, Iroh. But I would assume that your private security and detectives would be much more capable with discovering who the terrorists are and bringing them to justice." Piandao pointed out.

Fire Lord Zuko wrapped one arm around Fire Lady Mai and the other around his daughter. "Yes, they are very capable. They have done all they could. All of their leads have taken them outside of the Fire Nation. They believe the threats are from individuals who have taken refuge in Earth Kingdom villages that were previous Fire Colonies. A few are Fire Nation citizens, and others are Earth Nation. "

"What do you plan to do once they have been discovered?" Mila asked carefully.

"Honestly, for threatening my family, I want to put them in the prison cell next to my father." Zuko stated. "But I will have a private report made, and secretly delivered to the Earth Kings. I will trust their judgments of their citizens. I would ask that the Fire Nation citizens are brought back here."

"My Lord, I don't think I can be much help to you. I'm a swordsman, not an investigator. And why can you not send you detectives to the villages to track down their whereabouts?" Piandao shook his head. "Mila and I made a promise to Ami to take her to Republic City so she may train with waterbending masters."

"Piandao, my friend." Iroh stepped in again. "I am asking you to help us one more time. Help us discover if these threats are nothing or something. If my brother is released from prison and restored to the throne, a lot of people will die. He will personally see to it. If Zuko sends the detectives it could be seen as an act of war."

"When do you need a final decision?" Mila asked diplomatically.

"Tomorrow," Fire Lord Zuko insisted.

Piandao nodded and said, "We will think on it tonight and have an answer for you."

A knock on the door announced that the tea was ready. Mila accepted the tray and served it to the guests.

"I have another request." Fire Lord Zuko stated while accepting the tea. "This is more to do with your daughter. I know that she is attending the University for political science and communications. I need her help as well. It will allow her to turn her study to experience. I am sending out half a dozen ships to deliver food, medical supplies, and other goods as part of a peace offering to Water and Earth Nations. I want Ami to be one of my Ambassadors. To speak on my behalf and express the Fire Nations sincere apology and give away the goods and aid to anyone who wants it."

"You expect us to let our daughter travel the world alone?" Mila asked.

Zuko and Mai exchanged looks before he spoke, "I would like to point out, that my wife and I travelled all over the world as teenagers without much adult supervision. I would never ask anyone of my subjects to do something that I haven't done or am not willing to do. I understand that you adopted Ami, and that she is a waterbender; though her appearance is that of the Earth Nation. She could be more helpful than any of the other Ambassadors because of what she is and where she comes from. They will more likely listen to her than anyone. I want to begin to right the wrongs that my family has caused in the name of glory and honor for the Fire Nation. Now it is time for us to experience a little humility." Everyone was silent as they listened to the Fire Lord. They all agreed it was time for a change.

"Who else will be going with her?" Piandao asked.

"Each ship is armed with small weaponry and a crew of firebenders, as well as a sound and trustworthy captain. We are not waging war, but we need to protect the people on board each ship. I will also allow her to choose a vice ambassador to accompany her."

"How long will she be gone for?" Both parents were concerned, but Mila was the most vocal.

"It's difficult to say." Iroh explained. "She will have seven ports to stop at, one of them being Republic City. Her specific stops are the North Pole, five Earth Nation villages, and the city. Once the aid has been delivered we would like her to return to the palace to give a report. If she accepts, the remaining tuition for her schooling will be compensated."

"Money is not an issue." Piandao stated. "Her tuition is paid for."

"We will be happy to come to a different solution." Fire Lady Mai spoke. This was the first time she said anything. "I know we are asking much from your family. But you could have the greatest impact on this peaceful movement; as well as our own safety."

"We will discuss this with Ami. She is now an adult and can make decisions for herself." Piandao decided. Mila nodded an agreement.

"Thank you, my friends." Iroh held out his hand to Piandao and Mila. "We will await your answer."

"Please stay and enjoy the celebration." Mila smiled and bowed to the royal family.

"Can we, please?" Izumi asked playfully tugging on Fire Lady Mai's sleeve, and she looked at her husband. He nodded his head and the little girl squealed with excitement.

The group left the study and returned outside to the festivities. Everyone was laughing and talking, enjoying refreshments and the music. Ami made sure to walk around and mingle with the remaining guests she had not previously spoken too. After a little while, she accepted a drink and went to go sit at the fountain in the garden. It was her favorite place to sit and relax. She sipped on her wine and took a deep breath of the lotus flower aroma.

"May I join you?"

Ami smiled up at Nolaan who was standing next to her. "Yes, please." She scooted over to make room for him.

"Happy birthday," Nolaan gave her a side hug.

Ami melted into the hug. "Thank you."

"Today was the first time I've seen you duel in a long time. You've gotten really good. Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"My dad wanted to make sure that I could protect myself." Ami smiled down at her feet. "Do you still train with swords? Maybe we could relive the good ol' days and practice together sometime."

"I've been more focused on my bending. I haven't seriously practiced with a sword in ages. Since I'm to be a captain of my own ship, and I'm a bender, I've had to shift my discipline to firebending. That way I can effectively lead my crew, who are mostly firebenders. However, it looks like I could learn a lot from you."

Ami blushed and they both fell silent. They were comfortable with each other, but both were nervous at the same time. With growing up together, they had such a deep friendship. They went through the good and the bad times, through the cute kid times and the awkward teenage years. They both blossomed into polished young adults.

Ami thought back to when she first met Nolaan. It was the same day she met Tula as well. Her first day of school in the Fire Nation and she did not know anyone. She could barely read and write the Fire Nation script. She did not speak to anyone the whole morning because she was shy. While sitting all by alone in the courtyard, the scrawny boy with perfect clothes, and his hair was parted down the middle was being pushed to the ground by a group of older boys. The boy's name was Nolaan and he was in her class. He seemed like he was a magnet for bullying, like Ami was when she first came to the Fire Nation. They other boys reminded her of the boys from the beach.

Ami was so angry that she ran over to the boys and shoved one away as hard as she could. Then she grabbed Nolaan's and ran back inside. The boys were all stunned by the new girl they were momentarily frozen in place.

Tula witnessed the whole thing. She followed them inside to warn them that the boys were coming after them. She pulled them into a cleaning closet and kept watched through the cracked door. That day forward, the trio of misfits made it through school like any other kid of the Fire Nation. They were not top of their class, nor overly team sport driven, or by any means popular, just average. They were true to themselves and each other; that's all they cared about.

Integrity and being a gentleman or lady to uphold the family name was a culture tradition of the Fire Nation. Nolaan, Tula, and Ami were raised to uphold this tradition. Too bad it never saved them from the bullies. Nolaan was so small that the bigger kids liked to pick on him. Tula was late to grow out of her baby fat, so the thin girls chose her to ridicule. And Ami was targeted because she was clearly not born in the Fire Nation with her red hair and slightly darker complexion. When they completed their schooling, the agreed that they would always be friends no matter where life took them.

Nolaan wanted to be a naval officer; to travel the world and be free at sea. Now he is graduated from the academy and awaiting his first captain assignment. He is still humble, but as he grew so did his confidence, his strength in mind and body, and now he is the most handsome man of their age. Every girl wanted his attention, and every man envied him. It was amazing what a little time and puberty would accomplish.

Ami was proud of him. Proud that he never swayed on his beliefs, that his word was true. He was a good, honorable man. He knew that she was adopted, though she never told him she was a waterbender. With him being a firebender, she was worried that he would think that they were not combatable with their elements being the exact opposite. Only Tula knew of her gift and she promised to take the secret to her grave.

Nolaan was not the only one to drastically change. Since Tula was a dancer and a firebender, she became more graceful and elegant. As a little girl, her mother kept her hair very short and she had fringe. The cut looked like a bowl on her head. When she was old enough to take care of her hair, she decided to grow it out. Now it is down to her waist, beautiful and shiny. Her dancing helped her slim down. She is toned and not an ounce of fat on her. She always had an adventurous spirit that drove her. She liked to try new things, but only on her own terms. That was something Ami always admired about her.

Tula and Ami both wanted to travel as well but they wanted to help with building better relationships with the other nations. They both went to the University. Tula was studying more of the political science, and Ami was going for communications.

Now, they were older and nearly finished the academy and the university. Even being apart, they still looked out for each other and kept in close contact. They few times they met for festivals, they might bring along a friend from school, like Nolaan did with Wos. For more casual get to gathers it would just be the three of them.

"I have a birthday present for you." Nolaan announced. He handed her a small draw string bag.

Ami opened the bag and pulled out a silver arm bracelet. It was decorated with blue, green, and brown stones. "It's beautiful, thank you!" she hugged him tightly then put it on.

"I was in Republic City and I was walking on the boardwalk of the harbor and a vender was selling jewelry. The stones reminded me of your eyes. But your eyes put the stones to shame."

"That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." Ami stated. "How does it look?"

"It looks like it's almost too small for your arm. Wow, you have some muscles!" He gently squeezed her arm and smiled at her. "You look- I mean, it looks great on you."

She studied him for a moment. She thought he was going to say she looked great. That made her blush. She looked down at his lips. She wondered how they would feel on hers. Actually, she had been wondering that for a long time.

She leaned closer to him, and he was closing the gap. They could feel each other's warm breaths on their skin. Their eyes were closed.

"Ami!" a male voice called.

The couple froze a mere centimeter apart. They opened their eyes and were almost cross-eyed. Ami smiled and bit her lip. Nolaan sighed in frustration. They leaned away from each other, giving some room between them.

"Ami?" Wos came around from the other side of the fountain. "There you are! Oh, am I interrupting something?"

Ami blushed and smiled at Wos. Nolaan was trying not to glare at his friend, but he had a look of irritation plastered on his face.

"Nolaan was giving me a birthday present." Ami turned her body so her arm was visible.

"You look beautiful," Wos smiled down at her as he walked to her side. "You parents came outside and are looking for you."

Ami sighed and glanced at Nolaan before standing up. "Thank you, Wos. I will go find them."

"I'll come with you." Nolaan stood up as well. He managed to keep his frustration for his friend in check.

Wos was one of his best friends from the Academy. They managed to have a lot of their classes and trainings together. They got to know each other very well their first year, and over the last three years they were like brothers. They balanced each other out well. Were Nolaan is quiet, Wos is more outspoken. Nolaan is patient and Wos is not. Wos is more rowdy and Nolaan is level headed. They were told that opposites attract. Nolaan and Wos could not have agreed more.

The boys walked on either side of Ami. The tension was thick and it made the short walk back to the party seem very long and uncomfortable. As much as she wanted to spend more time with Nolaan, she made a quick bee line for her parents. Since Wos was Nolaan's friend she did not feel bad for abandoning them together.

Piandao and Mila were standing in the center of the white lotus floor. Retired General Iroh was standing next to the princess, both with cups of tea in their hands. He was grinning from ear to ear over something the little girl said. Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Mai looked like they were at a loss for words. Ami quietly came to her parents' side, not wanting to be distracting but she wanted to be included. The princess was having none of that.

"I saw you fight! You're amazing!" Izumi stated loudly to Ami. "When I grow up, I want to fight just like you."

"I wasn't fighting." Ami clarified. "Dueling with the sword is not fighting. Fighting is anger put into a negative action and no one really wins. Dueling is honor, discipline, and an art form."

"Oh, well it was still cool to watch you beat that guy!" Izumi smiled.

"Have you been teaching her the way of the sword, my lord?" Piandao asked his past pupil.

Fire Lord Zuko shook his head with a heavy heart. "I haven't been able to spend much time with my family. I am lucky that I am able to tuck her in every night with Mai."

"You know how to fight with swords, daddy?" Izumi asked. She did not give him a chance to answer. "Will you please teach me?"

Fire Lady Mai stepped in. "You can learn the sword, after you learn to battle with knives. I will teach you after your birthday."

Everyone was a little shocked by the offer. No one at the party knew of Mai's full capabilities, except Zuko and Iroh. Izumi was the most surprised.

"Really? Do you promise?" Izumi demanded.

"Promise." Fire Lady Mai smiled softly.

Fire Lord Zuko turned his attention to Ami. "I am impressed by your skill with the sword. It has been quite some time that I've seen anyone wield it as talented as you."

Ami blushed and curtsied. "Thank you, my lord."

The musicians started playing a new song. It was a soft lullaby and many people started to pair up and oscillate to the music. The Fire Lord and Lady took hands and stepped away from the group to dance. Iroh took Izumi's hand and twirled her around. Piandao and Mila started to dance as well. Ami was hoping she could find Nolaan, but he was already dancing with Tula. She was disappointed but not bothered by it.

"Would you like to dance?"

Ami turned around and smiled at Wos. He held out his hand to her and she accepted. He held her close in a sturdy grip. She knew how to dance and allowed him to lead. They swayed with the melody, but it felt so controlled and uncomfortable. She had to admit that Wos was a capable dance partner, but the way he was watching her made her nervous and not in the good way. She was cringing on the inside while she forced a small smile on her face.

To keep her mind off of him, she scanned the other dancers and guests for Nolaan and Tula. They were on the complete opposite side of the white lotus floor. It was difficult to see them with all of the other people between them. That caused her to realize that Wos had purposely led them as far away from everyone as possible, while still being on the floor.

"You look beautiful, Ami." Wos said, interrupting Ami's train of thought.

"You said that already," She smiled at him.

"It's still true." His stare was cocky, so focused on her that it unnerving. "How much longer do you have left at the University?"

"I'll be done in a year."

"What is it you are looking to do?"

"I would like to be a diplomat."

"Don't you want a family?"

"Yes, but I'm hoping to make a difference in the world. It's been at war for a long time. Now we are at peace, and I want to do my part to keep it that way. If we can mend the bridges between the nations, imagine what the world will look like fifty years down the road. International cooperation is possible." Ami's eyes lit up as her passion was shining through.

"I admire your ambition." Wos whispered as he held her closer. He was practically pressing her head to his chest.

When the song ended, Ami was more than relieved. She thanked Wos for the dance and went to retrieve another glass of wine. The music continued and the dancers enjoyed the entertainment. She searched again for Nolaan and Tula. Nolaan was nowhere to be seen, but Tula was dancing again with a young man whose mother was a friend of Mila's.

Piandao and Mila were mingling with their guests that they had not seen yet. When they saw their daughter, Piandao motioned for her to join him on the dance floor.

"Would you be willing to dance with you father?" Piandao asked.

"I thought you would never ask." Ami smiled at him.

The song was a little more upbeat one, but it would not be considered fast. Piandao lead them into the center and kept their movements simple.

"I wanted to talk to you in private." Piandao stated.

"Oh?"

"I wanted to let you know that your mother and I stand behind you with your goals. But when the time comes that you are looking for a husband, choose wisely." Piandao looked into Ami's eyes with soft but serious eyes. "Do not marry a man that you would not be proud to have sons just like him."

"Yes, Dad." Ami nodded. "There is one man that I have an interest in, but he doesn't know."

"Have I met him?"

"Yes." She answered reluctantly. No daughter liked telling her dad about boys.

"Is it Nolaan?"

"Dad!" Ami blushed.

"Alright, alright. I won't pry." Piandao knowingly smiled. "When all of the guests have left, your mom and I have something we need to discuss with you. It's very important and it can't wait until morning."

Ami was surprised and intrigued. "What is it?"

Piandao shook his head. "We can't discuss it now. When everyone has left we will. Nothing is wrong, per say. But neither you nor your mom is in any danger."

"What about you?"

"No, we are all fine. I promise to fully explain later."

"Alright," she knew that her father would insist that she need not worry. She kept her thoughts to herself and would be patient for later. But her mind was racing. _What could be so important?_

The song ended and Mila waved for them to join her. Ami spent the remainder of the evening mingling with the guests, dancing with other young men who were invited, and talking with Tula. She saw Nolaan spending a lot of time with the other dancers from Tula's team. She tried not to be jealous. It did not work.

The party went on well into the evening. When the musicians announced that they were playing their last song, Nolaan appeared at Ami's side.

"You owe me a dance." He said.

"You owe me!" Ami insisted.

The song was another slow song. Nolaan held her gently but she felt safe, she felt like she was home. She rested her head on his shoulder and his chin was on her head. The happy, comfortable, but fluttering butterfly feeling took over.

"When do you have to go back?" Ami asked.

"I have to report to my ship tomorrow for commissioning." Nolaan explained.

"Do you have an assignment already?"

"Yes, I will be touring with an ambassador to deliver supplies to some Earth Nation villages."

Ami was happy to hear that, and sad at the same time. "It's wonderful to hear that the Fire Nation is trying to right the wrong."

"I wouldn't go that far. There is no replacing the loss of life the Fire Nation has caused."

"But it's a step in the right direction. Do you know how long you will be gone for?"

"It's difficult to say. Maybe six months."

"Promise you'll write," Ami demanded.

"I will, if you will."

"Done."

They fell into the same comfortable silence through the rest of the song. Ami did not want it to end. She was reluctant to let go of him. When all they could hear was the remaining guests say their goodbyes, Ami knew she had to see to her hostess duties.

"Will I see you before you leave?" she asked before she walked away.

"I hope so."

"Ami!" Mila called and waved to her.

Interrupted again! Ami knew better than to keep her mom waiting long. She looked back to Nolaan who looked disappointed as she felt.

She quickly hugged him tightly. "If you get a chance, come back and say goodbye before you leave."

Nolaan wrapped his arms around her and held her. "I will try."

"Ami!" Mila called again.

She let go of him and rushed to her father. She was standing with her dad and the royal family.

"Thank you for coming this evening." Mila bowed. Piandao and Ami also bowed.

"It was a wonderful celebration." Fire Lady Mai stated. "Happy birthday, Ami."

"Thank you, my lady." Ami extended her bow.

"I look forward to hearing your responses." Fire Lord Zuko stated.

"Yes, you will have an answer tomorrow." Piandao answered, shaking hands with Iroh.

"Thank you for your consideration." Iroh expressed his gratitude. He turned to Ami. "Your skill, discipline, and strength are very impressive. Keeping your cool in stressful situations and adapting to change is a valuable asset. Never lose that."

"I won't, thank you." Ami smiled at him.

Princess Iszumi looked exhausted. Fire Lord Zuko picked up his daughter and carried her to tehri carriage. Ami said goodbye to her guests and friends . Tula was barely standing up straight because she was so tired. Nolaan hugged her one more time before leaving for the night. Wos also hugged her and followed his friend out the door. It was not long until the house was empty of all guests. Some of the servants had started cleaning up. Mila went to Celine and told her to have the staff only do the bare necessities. The rest of the clean up can be done the next day.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Ami asked her dad.

Piandao looked to Mila, who nodded to him. "Let's go to the study."

They spent the next three quarters of an hour explaining the surprise visit from Fire Lord Zuko and his family. Ami listened intently to her dad and her mom when she would add information. It was a lot to take in.

"Are you going to go?" Ami asked.

"Well, that depends on you." Mila stated. "We promised to take you to Republic City."

"I know, but what if we met up there?"

"I beg your pardon?" Piandao was a little confused.

"Iroh and the Fire Lord have a mission for you. And they want me to be an ambassador. This is an opportunity to make a difference in the world. I can deliver the supplies and when I'm finished I will go right to Republic City. When you're done, you can meet me there. Or whoever gets there first."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Mila asked.

Ami nodded. "This is a chance for me to do what I've wanted to do for a long time. I can make a difference in the world. And you will be protecting one of the main people who started this peaceful movement. I think we should do this."

Piandao and Mila glanced at each other again. "I think we could save a lot of lives, Mila. And Ami, you're an adult and can make your own decisions. You want to make a difference in the world and I think this is a great start."

Mila hugged her daughter. "I'm so proud of you.

Ami returned the hug. Her mind was racing with the possibilities. She was thinking over the ports that she would be visiting. _What about my birth family?_

"Are you going to look for them?" Mila asked, seeing the wheels turn in her daughters head.

Ami took a deep breath to calm her thoughts. "I was just thinking that I might be able to find out information about my birth family. Possibly find out where I come from."

Piandao was silent. Mila looked down at the floor.

"I love you both." Ami stated. She wanted to make her intensions clear. "It's just that I want to know where I come from. The memories are so hazy that nothing is clear about my past before I came to you. I need to know."

"We completely respect that." Piandao stressed. He took a hold of his wife's hand and lovingly held her. "We knew that one day you would want to travel and find out. We just wanted to be there with you so you would not face it by yourself."

"If what you say is true, that I will get to choose a vice ambassador, Tula will be with me. And Nolaan said that he is going to be the captain of a ship that is touring with an ambassador. I won't be alone." Ami tried to comfort them.

"That's very comforting," Piandao said sarcastically. His wife gently nudged him with her elbow.

"No matter what you discover," Mila wiped away a tear from her eyes. "You always have a home here. We love you and you will always be our daughter."

Ami hugged her parents. She was so grateful to them and no one could ever replace them. "I will come back."

"If you find your family," Piandao said. "Invite them here. We would love to meet them."

"I will." Ami reassured, tears were starting to form in her eyes as well. _What an evening!_


	4. Chapter 3

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

 _Pronunciations_

 _Ami: Ah-mEE_

 _Tula: Too-la_

 _Nolaan: No-lawn_

I realized I made a mistake with this chapter. I forgot to add an Ambassador, so I'm fixing it now. If you are reading this for the first time, no worries. If you've read this and wonder 'what the heck, she said there were six, but I only counted five!' rest assured, it's all good now! Thank you!

* * *

The night was short. Ami was awakened early by Celine. She was to go with her parents to the shipyard to see them off. Then she would go directly to the palace for a meeting with Fire Lord Zuko, General Iroh, and a few of his advisors.

After she did her morning workout, she dressed in traditional fire nation garb for the meeting. It was a modest red robe, fitted at the waist with gold floral patterns embroidered along the edges. It was long sleeved and went down to her ankles, but the fabric so light, flowing, and breathable. She put on her red shoes, tied her hair up elegantly out of her face and off her neck. Lastly, she put on her tooth necklace for good luck to soothe her nerves. She did not want anyone to see it so she tucked it underneath her clothes. When she was ready, she joined her parents in the carriage to ride to the docks.

It was a quiet ride, no one was fully awake. The party the night before really wore them out. Before they knew it, they had arrived and General Iroh was waiting for them. While their little bit of luggage was being loaded, he gave them specific instructions on who they can contact and where to find them. They were going to be traveling as inconspicuous as possible. The cruise ship would be taking passengers to Republic City, and then they would travel by eelhound everywhere else.

"It is the upmost importance that you keep me apprised of your location and who you speak with. If something happens, I can send reinforcements to help you. Other members of the White Lotus are never too far out of reach." Iroh explained and shook his friend's hand.

"We will," Piandao reassured.

"Keep him out of trouble." Iroh turned and hugged Mila.

"Now you are asking too much." Mila smiled then became serious. She whispered in the old man's ear. "Don't let anything happen to my little girl."

"I'm sure she will be fine." Iroh expressed.

"That is not good enough," Mila stepped back and looked him in the eye. "You are asking a lot of my family. I'm asking you in return to do the best you can to ensure her safety."

Ami looked between her parents and the retired general. She knew it was pointless to try to ease her mother's worry, but she tried anyway. "Believe it or not, I can take care of myself."

"We know you can take care of yourself, I trained you." Piandao interjected. H e wanted to lighten the mood. "But your mother and I would like to hear that you will not be purposely put into harm's way, nor if such occasion should arise will you be alone."

"If everything goes to plan, and she follows protocol, she will be fine." Iroh was firm in his answer. He looked to Ami who nodded her agreement. Mila and Piandao were satisfied for now.

The horn for the ship sounded. The captain was alerting all passengers to board. People who were still standing on the dock began to fill the multiple stair ways.

"I expect a messenger hawk once a week, young lady." Mila said with tears in her eyes and hugged her daughter tightly.

"Of course," Ami also started to tear up. She blinked them away so no one would see. "Twice a week if something big happens."

"I wish we were going with you."

"I do too, but we will meet up in Republic City."

"And if we don't get on that ship it will take even longer to get there." Piandao interrupted. "Be safe. Watch your back. And take this." He handed her a long package. "It' belonged to my grandfather. I want you to have it, since we were not able to start making yours."

Ami hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

Ami and Iroh stayed on the docks waiting for the ship to launch. When it pulled away, Ami waved them bon voyage. Since the ship was large, smaller boats and vessals had to navigate around it. With the high performance and speed of the cruise ship, it was on the horizon in barely any time at all.

Iroh waited patiently for Ami to say when she was ready. He saw each eye shed a single tear before she dried them. He already knew her past after Piandao took her in and was proud of the young woman she grew to be. She was beautiful and her heritage it was obviously Earth Nation. The source of her waterbending was a wonder as well as her history before she came to Ember Island. Her skill with the sword was impressive. She was intelligent and educated, disciplined, adaptable, easy to get along with, and friendly. He was not surprised that her parents kept a close eye on her.

"I'm ready," Ami said softly.

Iroh smiled and held out his arm to her. "Very well, I have a carriage waiting for us."

Ami found herself seated in the throne room with five other people. They were in a variety of age ranges. She was definitely the youngest. There were three men and two women sitting all to her left in a semicircle. They all were dressed elegantly in various forms of red and gold. None of them were full Fire Nation nationalities.

The woman to her right was the oldest, probably in her forties. She looked assured of her place and ready to take on whatever she was tasked with. She looked like she was complete Fire Nation, but she had green eyes. To her right was a young man who looked to be a little older the Ami. He looked anxious, sweat was gathering on his brow, and he was fidgeting, occasionally he would play his curly hair through his fingers, which was not genetically Fire Nation. The woman next to him was probably in her early thirties, she had a cocky smile, fumed ambition, and a grand desire to prove herself. Her skin color was tan, darker than that of Fire Nation. The man sitting next to them looked roughly the same as the older woman. He had a long beard that touched his chest. The last man was also in his thirties, but he appeared to be calm and collected, waiting for the meeting to begin. His features only spoke of Fire Nation. Ami wondered how he came to be an ambassador since they everyone else had some hint of another nation in their bloodlines.

"All rise for Fire Lord Zuko!" a servant announced.

The six ambassadors did as instructed as Fire Lord Zuko entered the room and sat on the throne. General Iroh sat on his right with a couple advisors, and the rest of them sat on his left.

"Thank you. Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss in a short amount of time." Zuko begin. He looked to the six people sitting directly in front of him. "I'm sure you all have a good idea of why you are here. You are each uniquely qualified to be peaceful ambassadors. I need you to speak on my behalf to deliver a most sincere apology to various locations. You're job will be dividing up and distributing food, medical supplies, and other goods to each stop. Each of you has been assigned to a ship that will take you to seven ports each. One of them will be Republic City to restock your supplies. They were chosen for you to you for various reasons, whether it be: connections that your families have, your heritage, linguistics, your field of study, the lists could go on and on.

Each ship captain has been briefed on the mission you will be doing. You will meet them in two days. The ships are armed with minimal weapons and crewed by firebenders. This is meant for precaution and protection only. We are aware that any Fire Nation vessel could be met with lethal hostility. We don't want to send you anywhere and not be able to defend yourselves. But I must express, this is a peaceful endeavor.

I know that I am asking a lot from all of you. But I would never ask anyone to do something that I, myself, am not willing to do or have not done. I am very well aware that some places may not accept anything from the Fire Nation and that is fine. You are only to make the offer. There are no strings attached to give them the aid. Once you have been to all of your ports, I want you to return here to give me a full report.

If anyone does not wish to carry out this mission, please speak now." The Fire Lord concluded. No one spoke out. "Thank you all for your service. This is only the beginning of our peaceful movement. Without you, we are not able to get things underway. Please stand. Uncle, will you please assist me in distributing the pins and royal proclamations."

Fire Lord Zuko descended his throne and General Iroh came to his right. Together, they started with the male ambassador furthest away from Ami. A servant came up behind them with a box and held it open. The general took out a pin and handed it to Zuko who pinned it on his shoulder. General Iroh then unrolled a scroll before handing it to his nephew. Fire Lord Zuko then pressed his palm to the paper, notarizing his royal seal on the proclamation. There was also a thick envelope given with it. He gave a private word of personal thanks to each of them.

They continued all the way down the line until they reached Ami. She was nervous before, but now her anxieties were off the scale. Each person had their moment of glory with all eyes on them, now it was her turn.

Zuko had worry and stress lines on his face, even on the scarred side. It was obvious that he knew that this project could really swing in either direction. He was doing what he thought was right in order to keep the new found peace. But Ami also saw kindness and hope. She was honored and proud to be of service to this great endeavor.

He carefully pinned the pin on her shoulder. "Thank you for your service, Lady Ami."

She smiled and bowed her head. "It's an honor to be of service. Thank you for the opportunity to help restore the honor of our great nation."

He stared at her for a moment. He looked like he was going to say something but decided against in. He smiled at her and handed her the sealed proclamation. General Iroh also smiled at her.

Zuko stood in the middle of the ambassadors and addressed them again. "You all have been pinned as the Fire Nation's Royal Peace Ambassadors. You have a proclamation that you are to present to each king, chief, govener, or anyone with authority. The envelope has detailed instructions on your duties, which ports you are assigned, and the name of your captain, and the ship you will be traveling on. We were able to put together a list of customs to help you in the ports. Some of them are quite different from ours, so keep an opened mind. There is also information on each ambassador, which ships you're on, the captains, and ports. If you ever find yourself in any problems or any situation, send a messenger hawk. We will send help as quickly as we can. Or you can contact each other.

I encourage you to chose a vice ambassador to work with you; and in case something happens, to work in your stead. Make your choice by tonight and send a message to my uncle so we can have a meeting with them. Choose wisely.

Remember, you are some of the first Fire Nation ships to enter these waters in a long time. You will be the first impression of the changed Fire Nation. We are counting on you to make the best positive impact possible. Thank you again, and good luck."

Everyone in the throne room bowed to the Fire Lord before leaving. The other ambassadors now seemed confident in themselves now that they knew the details. Ami was ready to get started, not just with the mission given to her by the Fire Lord, but with her personal mission of finding her family. She already knew who she wanted to be her Vice Ambassador, Tula. She wasted no time in informing General Iroh, who then sent a summons for her to come to the palace the next day. Ami also sent her a message briefly explaining why she was being summoned and asked her to come over to her house as quickly as possible for further explanation.

She was about to leave when she remembered her conversation with Nolaan and his new assignment. She asked General Iroh if she it was possible for her to be on his ship.

"Who's ship are you on now?" Iroh asked.

Ami opened the envelope and found the paper she was looking for. "It says… Captain Nolaan on ship FN Billis. Well, that worked out nicely!"

"I take it you know him?" Iroh asked.

"Yes, we've been friends for as long as I can remember." Ami clarified. "Do the captains know who their ambassador is?"

"They will find out this evening. We wanted to be sure that everyone we selected would agree first, before we made any specific plans." He explained.

"Wonderful. Thank you again and I will be back two days." Ami smiled and bowed. When she straightened she felt him wrap his arms around her in a gentle hug.

"Please take care, Ami. I have complete faith in you. And I know that the desire to fill the void of your past is in you. But please, for the sake of your adoptive parents, use caution." Iroh looked into her eyes with his wise warning.

"I promise." Ami nodded. "I just want to find out what happened to my family. I don't remember anything from before I washed up on Ember Island. I'm going to use the opportunity as much as possible to learn about my cultural background. Thank you for this chance. I will return with a full report as soon as I'm done."

"We looked forward to hearing all about it. Goodbye, Ami."

"It's never goodbye. See you later." Ami clarified as she took her leave.

Ami was so excited for her trip. She was already looking through the envelope and reading over her duties on her ride home. She learned what the ship was like, and where she would be going. By the time she made it home, she read through the entire packet and was making mental notes on key things to remember. She also made notes on things to tell Tula and Nolaan when they came over. She sent a second message to Nolaan, asking him to come over before his meeting at the palace.

The first set of doors to the estate opened for the carriage and went to the house. Just as she climbed out of the carriage, Celine came running toward her. She smiled at the woman who was out of breath.

"What's wrong?" Ami asked while she waited for her to catch her breath. She nodded up to the driver and thanked him before he left.

"M'lady, you have a guest." Celine explained.

"Oh, well I will be right in. I just need to take care of-"

"He wished to see you right away. I will see to that. I will put it in your room." She pointed at the envelope in Ami's hands.

Ami was a little surprised. "Who is it?"

Celine gently accepted the envelope when Ami handed it to her. "It's Captain Wos. He said that he wished to see you right away."

"Is something wrong?" Ami wanted to get as much information before she met with him. After the night before, she did not want to spend much time with him. "How long has he been here?"

"He arrived about a half hour ago. He was surprised that you were not here, like you invited him over. He has been getting more and more anxious the longer he waits." Celine warned her.

"Thank you. I will take care of this." Ami headed toward the house. She really did not want to be around him. He made her feel so awkward and uncomfortable. She searched around the house for the uninvited guest. She finally found him in the garden near the fountain overlooking the mountains. "Wos?"

"Hello, Ami!" Wos turned around and smiled at her. "You look wonderful."

"Thank you. What can I do for you?" Ami wanted to get right to business.

Wos looked a little annoyed at her abruptness. He sat down on the bench at the base of the fountain where she sat with Nolaan the night before and patted the spot next to him for her to take a seat. He waited until she joined him. "How are you?"

"I am well. And you?" Ami asked. Her politeness was forced. Her mother taught her that being a lady, no matter what the circumstances is the upmost importance. However, her dad set the perfect example on how to treat lady. Her mother was the happiest, most respected, and loved wife Ami knew. Ami and Mila were Piandao's treasures, he would never hurt them, make them feel unworthy, or that they were second rate. Ami could not say the same for Wos.

"Better now that you are here." Wos scooted closer so their legs were touching. There was no more room on the bench to move. "There is something that I wanted to tell you."

"Yes?" Ami vacated her gaze from him to see if anyone else had come into the garden. It bothered her that they were completely alone.

"As you know, when I graduated from the academy I became a naval officer. I just completed my last training, and I have been promoted to captain. My ship is being commissioned tomorrow."

"Congratulations."

"I want you to be there." Wos announced.

Ami was taken aback. "Thank you for inviting me, Wos. But I will not be able to attend."

"What else could you possibly be doing?" Wos asked irritated.

"I don't think that is any of your business." Ami answered sternly, not caring about being polite anymore. She got up to put some distance between them. She could hear the water from the fountain begin to flow faster. She needed to calm herself down.

Wos quickly stood up and took hold of her wrist. "Wait, please. That came out wrong. I apologize." Ami stared at him than at his hand. He did not let go, but he switched to holding her hand instead. "Ami, I wanted to tell you last night. I really like you, a lot. I can't stop thinking about you. I would like to court you, with the intension of marriage."

Ami was stunned at his boldness. She never dislike Wos, he just made her uncomfortable. His gaze was always possessive, arrogant, and rude, the negative list could go on and on. The water from the fountain was really picking up speed. "No, thank you."

"Excuse me?" He stepped closer to her, never letting go.

"No, thank you." Ami repeated. "I do not wish to be courted by you. I think you should leave."

"I'm not leaving yet." He took hold of her other hand and his face was just inches from hers. He smiled down at her, causing the hair on her neck to stand on edge. He was becoming more and more aggressive by the minute. "I want to marry you, and you will have me."

"That is an awfully bold accusation, Wos." Ami was no coward, but she wanted to get away from him. The fountain was spilling over; the water was getting angry like she was.

"I want you, and will have you. Who else would want you like I do, given you are adopted from the Earth Kingdom?"

"That is also none of your business. It's time for you to leave."She stepped back again and pulled herself free. Immediately the fountain relaxed a little. Still not the steady stream it was.

"There is a rumor going around that there is a group of rebels in the Fire Nation who are trying to restore Ozai to the throne." Wos stated.

"I am aware of that." Ami countered.

"Then you are also aware that as a navy captain it is my duty to report any suspicious activity that could lead us to the culprits."

"What are you implying?" Ami was getting impatient. She was one comment away from pulling her sword out and challenging him.

"I would hate to have to report to my superior that I think Sword Master Piandao and his wife have strong loyalties to the previous fire lord. And that they are working with others to eliminate Fire Lord Zuko and his family."

"My parents fully support Fire Lord Zuko! My father fought alongside of General Iroh during the final battle of the one hundred year war." Ami shouted at him. The fountain shot a blast of water ten feet into the air. Clearly he was trying to get a rise out of her. He had an evil half smile on his lips. Thankfully he was oblivious to the fountain and the behavior of the water. "You also have no proof to back up your statement."

"Are you sure? There has been some reporting of others who could be rebels, and they are all absent at the current time; possibly conspiring right now, on a plot to restore Ozai to the throne. Where are you parents exactly?" Wos antagonized. He looked too calm and sure of himself as he placed his hands behind his back.

"Are you blackmailing me?" Ami accused, taking a risky step toward him.

"If you have to ask, then you already know the answer." Wos closed the distance between them and took hold of her chin with his knuckle and thumb. He forced her to look into his cold, demanding eyes. "I will have you, Ami. Say you will be mine and this all goes away." He leaned down and roughly planted his lips on hers.

Ami was scarred. She tried not to let it show, but her fears for her family and herself were taking over. He held her tight and could feel the heat from his body radiating from him. He was a fire bender so naturally his body temperature was warmer than that of a nonbender. Despite that, he still had coldness about him. One of his hands was on her back, slowly lowering to the base of her spine. His other hand occupied one of hers. She tried to push him off, but he was stronger than her. After a moment of torture, she was able to break free of his forceful mouth. She glared at him while he smiled at her.

Wos whispered in her ear. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Ami. Be my bride willingly and your family will be safe. Or, you will be left to the wolves with no one's help but mine. The choice is yours."

"Get out." Ami answered fiercely. It took all of her strength to not drown him in an uncontrolled flow of water.

He stepped back and ran a lock of her fallen hair through his fingers. "I will send a carriage to pick you up tomorrow for the commissioning. Wear something red and gold. It will match your soft red hair." He bowed to her and left the garden and the estate without noticing the fountain.

Ami stayed where she was for a few moments after he left. She was so angry and scared she needed to get a hold of herself. Her hands were shaking and her breath was labored. She did not know what to do. Planting her feet she let the basic waterbending motions flow through her. The water from the fountain shot straight up and she let out an aggressive battle cry. As the water rained down on her, her muscles relaxed and her temper was cooling down. She went inside to change into her training garb.

The disciplined sword movements would help her calm her mind and focus on what she should do. She was strong, fierce, and precise, just like her father taught her. After an hour of training and practice, she felt calm enough she could work out a plan.

Ultimately she decided that she would humor Wos and go to the commissioning the next day. The day after that, she would be leaving herself as one of Fire Lord Zuko's peace Ambassadors. Since Fire Lord Zuko and General Iroh were the ones who asked her parents to go on this mission, they were well aware of Piandao and Mila's loyalty. Her parents were safe from the wrongful accusations, and she would be a long gone before Wos could get to her.

It was early afternoon by the time she had washed up and changed. She was eating a simple meal when her friend Tula arrived. Ami asked to have another plate and tea made for her.

"I just received the message from the palace when I was getting ready to come over!" Tula was so excited. "My parents were also thrilled that I will be working for the Royal Family. Thank you for thinking of me."

"I have much to tell you. Do you want the good news or the bad news?" Ami asked.

"I hate that question. Well, let's do the good news first. We can tackle the bad news together." Tula poured herself some tea.

"Okay, well I am going to really take advantage of this assignment. I have a list of all the major ports we are going too. The first being the North Pole and followed by two five Earth Kingdom villages, Republic City, and then three more Earth Villages. I want to learn as much of my heritage as possible. Maybe I will find out what happened to my birth family." Ami explained.

"Oh, Ami this is outstanding!" Tula cried out. "But do you know where to start or any have idea on who they were? I don't want to see you get your hopes up."

"I have some clues from hazy memories. But I'm hoping that something will spark when I get there." Ami's mind raced through her past. She frowned about how much she could not make out. "I think that we can gather clues as we deliver the supplies. Once the ship is empty, if there are any leads I want to chase them down. I already shared my goal to learn about my heritage with General Iroh. He told me to be cautious, but he gave me his blessing."

"What about your mom and dad?" Tula asked.

Ami sighed. "They are on their own quest, looking for leads about this rebellion. When I told them that I wanted to search for my family they were sad, but they understood. They are still my family because they took me in, cared for me, and loved me. They are my parents. But I do have another family too and I'm going to find them. Mom and dad said that when I did find them, to invite them back to the estate. They want to meet my birth family."

Tula smiled and nodded. "I'm in! You are my best friend no matter where you are from. So you don't get to do this alone."

"Thank you. This means so much to me that you are willing to go and help me." Ami hugged her friend snuggly. "We will be traveling on Nolaan's ship; so all three of us will be together."

"This is going to be the best adventure ever! Now tell me the bad news."

Ami carefully explained the events that occurred before Tula arrived. The rage she felt then was surging through her now. Ripples in the water throughout the room were forming. Tula knew of her secret so she did not try to hide it. However she could not fully control her bending. It was important to keep her emotions in check to keep the bending in check.

Tula shared her anger and frustration. Ami was doing her best to sooth her friend since she was past this stage. It was never a good sign when Tula started using her hands to talk with. "Who does he think he is?! Ordering you around and even blackmailing you into marrying him! The nerve of him!"

"I won't marry him. Not in a million years, would I ever consider marrying a leech of a man like him." Ami stated matter of fact. "I don't even like him. Let alone respect him."

"To make matters worse, he is betraying his best friend!" Tula rested her head in her hands, elbows on the table.

"Excuse me, m'lady?" Kon, the head butler came into the dining room, "I do not wish to alarm you, but the guard reported an unknown person outside the house."

"If it's Wos, send him away. Tell him that I fell ill or something." Ami instructed.

"Were you not expecting another guest, though?" Kon asked. "Wasn't Nolaan also supposed to be joining you this evening?"

"Yes, Nolaan is welcome." Ami answered. "I'm sorry for my outburst. Wos' visit was not a happy surprise. I will explain later."

"Yes, m'lady. I will go speak to the guard." Kon excused himself to see to the task.

Ami rubbed her temples as Tula poured them more tea.

"So what do we do now?" Tula asked.

"I have a plan." Ami reassured her. "Tomorrow, I will go to the commissioning. He will leave on his ship and think that I will wait here for him. But we will leave with Nolaan the day after tomorrow to begin our quest. With any luck, my parents will be successful on their mission and meet us in Republic City as soon as possible."

"Everything will work out. I know it." Tula reassured her with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

"What did you mean when you said 'he's betraying his best friend'?" Ami asked.

Tula perked up. Her eyes went wide and her jaw snapped shut. "It's not my place to say."

"Seriously, after everything I've shared with you. You won't tell me?"

"I can't. I promised I wouldn't."

"Excuse me again, m'lady." Kon returned. "I wanted to let you know that the guards did a thorough search of the estate. No one was found. Whoever it was is gone."

"Thank you, Kon." Ami nodded.

"I also wanted you to know that they are going to take some extra precautions tonight. Just to be on the safe side."

"Sounds like a good idea." Ami encouraged. "Would it be possible then, to spare someone to see Tula home later?"

"Yes, m'lady."

"Thank you."

They were alone again. Tula was the first to speak. "Do you think Wos came back? Or maybe sent someone to spy on you?"

"It's a possibility. If it was Nolaan he would come inside, not just sneak around." Ami deduced.

The girls visited a little while longer; discussing the events of the party, who was all there, and the surprise of seeing the royal family. They talked more about the details of their mission, what they should pack, what they were hoping to see, a little more about Ami's family and where she could be from. They pulled out the Pai Sho board while they waited for Nolaan to arrive.

"It's getting dark." Ami noticed. The sun was starting to set. She was getting really anxious that Nolaan never arrived.

"Oh wow! I didn't even notice. I was too wrapped up in the game." Tula looked out the window. She played her final move and won the game. "Want me to stay the night?"

"No, you better go. You don't want to end up going to the commissioning with me. It's not fair for you to get sucked into that too. Plus, you have to be ready for your meeting tomorrow."

"I would go for you. Plus, I would get to look at all the good looking men in uniforms." Tula joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm surprised Nolaan did not show up."

"I bet he was meeting with Fire Lord Zuko and Genral Iroh. I'm sure there was a lot to go over for them, being captains and going on such an important mission. There is bound to be a lot of instructions and protocol to go through."

"I hope your right. I will go see him tomorrow after the commissioning." Ami stood up and stretched. "You better get going. I will get a guard to escort you home."

"Thank you. My parents won't be as upset with me for staying so late if I have an escort home."

"I really appreciate you coming over. Don't forget to pack warm clothes. The North Pole is the first stop." Ami warned.

"I guess I will have to go shopping. Darn!" Tula snapped her fingers. They walked to the doors of the house and hugged. "I will see you in two days when you pick me up."

"Sounds like a plan." Ami asked for Tula's carriage to be brought around as well as the escort.

When her company was gone, Ami went up to her room. She looked around and started making a list of things she would like to bring with her. Celine arrived to help her start packing.

"I don't want to do much tonight." Ami explained. "It's been a long day and I am tired."

"Yes, I understand. May I ask what happened with your unexpected guest?" Celine asked.

Ami explained with careful detail, not telling the loyal servant everything. She did not want to put the woman in a difficult position. She reassured her that she would send a messenger hawk to her parents informing them of the danger. That was enough to keep the woman at ease. They worked quickly on deciding what Ami would take for the mission from clothing to personal items. All that was left to do was physically pack them up.

That night, Ami fell into a dead slumber. If she had any dreams, she did not remember them. The next day was going to be a frustrating one. Only she did not know how frustrating it would be.


	5. Chapter 4

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

 _Pronunciations_

 _Ami: Ah-mEE_

 _Tula: Too-la_

 _Nolaan: No-lawn_

 _Covell: Cov-elle_

 _Clyo: Cly-oh_

 _Hubab: Hoo-bab_

 _Sune: Like June, but with an S_

 _Vieve: Like Genevieve_

 _Crispos: Kris-pose_

* * *

Ami was dressed and ready to go when the carriage arrived for her. She did as Wos asked and wore a deep red floor length dress with a small gold robe to cover her shoulders and arms and hugged her waist. Her hair was down, but half of it was pulled back from her face. It would be considered business casual attire. She wanted him to believe that she was succumbing to him so he would not be suspicious of her.

"I will be back as soon as the commissioning is over," Ami explained to Celine.

"Have you written your mother and father yet?" Celine asked, checking over Ami's outfit and smoothing out wrinkles.

"I will when I get underway," she reassured the woman.

A knock on the door announced that her ride was there. Celine opened the door for Ami and they walked out to the carriage together when the footman opened the door. Out stepped a man and woman, both smiling at Ami. The man was wearing a retired military officer uniform and the woman dressed similar to Ami, she wore a dark orange dress with a long light brown cloak clasped at her neck but opened in the front.

"You must be Ami," the man stepped forward and bowed. "My son, Wos, has told us so much about you. I am retired commander Covell and this is my wife, Clyo, Wos' mother." The woman stepped forward and also bowed.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Ami smiled and returned the bow.

"My son had to be at the commissioning early this morning. He asked us to come and retrieve you for him. I assume you are ready to go?" Covell stated rather than asked.

Ami noted that Clyo had not said a word and barely made eye contact with anyone. She focused her attention on either her husband or the ground. This made her a little worried. "Yes I am."

"Wonderful, than we shall be on our way." Covell turned and helped his wife back into the carriage.

Ami looked back to Celine and forced a smile. "I shall be back before long." Celine looked worried for her, but she nodded. Ami accepted Covell's hand into the carriage and took a seat on the empty bench across from Clyo. Covell climbed in behind her and sat next to his wife, eyeing Ami.

"Wos tells me you are studying to be a diplomat," Covell began. "Master Piandao must be very proud."

"Yes and my mother." Ami stated, already feeling uncomfortable.

"An admirable field of work for a young lady such as yourself." Covell's eyes bore into hers. "Not many women have ventured into politics."

"It has always fascinated me. I want to make a positive difference in the world."

"Also admirable, but what about marriage and children? Most young ladies like you wish to have a suitable husband found for them and bear a child or two. It is nearly impossible for a woman to have a career and a family."

Ami now knew where Wos learned to think the way he does. Obviously, the retired comander lorded over his household, including his wife. He believed his word was law and he was to be respected and submitted to at all times. He believed a woman's place was only at home and to do as her husband says.

Ami did not object to a woman being a housewife. Her mother was one, but her father loved and respected his wife. He never discouraged her from speaking her mind or having an opinion. He was proud of his wife and thought of her as his equal. They brought up their daughter to think the same way.

"I will admit that I had not thought that far ahead." Ami said. _This is going to be a long day._ She thought. "My priorities have been to finish school."

"I'm not surprised, nor should you worry much." Covell smiled and shook his head. "I'm sure your father will make the decision for you when the right man comes along. And I doubt you will have to wait much longer."

All she could do was nod. She did not trust herself to do anything else. She was shock at the bold statement. _Yup, Wos is definitely his father's son._ She silently prayed for patience for the rest of the morning. The spirits knew that if she prayed for strength, she would need prison bail money as well. During the whole conversation, Clyo maintained a numb composure and either looked down at her feet or out the window.

At the ship yard, there were hundreds of people. Not only was Wos' ship being commissioned, but five others as well. Ami wondered if they were the ships for the ambassadors. When she got the chance, she would ask Wos what his first mission would be. If he was to be a captain for one of the ambassadors, than Nolaan would be at the yard as well with his ship.

Covell showed his credentials and followed the security guard to the designated seats for them. They were in a box seats that sat high enough that you could see for miles over the flat land of the yard and out to sea. They were close enough that they could make out some of the faces on the ships. Ami chose the seat so Clyo would be between her and Covell.

The ceremony only lasted about twenty minutes. Fire Lord Zuko and his family were present and gave an encouraging speech on peace and unity. When he finished, he announced the names of the ships and their captains, who lead their crews in a ceremony of lighting the ships flame. It was symbolic to new ships, to a new way of life and thinking, and moving forward.

Ami's heart about beat out of her chest when she spotted Nolaan on the bow of his ship with his crew. He and the rest of the sailors present were all wearing their dress uniforms. She smiled proudly at him, even though she knew he could not see her. She was sure that he was not even aware of her presence. Wos' ship and crew in the next ship, positioned and at a readied stance for their command.

All six ships lit up in a ripple. The captains counted off for their crews and gave commands to the motions they did together. It was a magnificent sight. The firebenders lined the perimeter of the ship and shot a fire into the air forming one big flaming sphere high above them. It reminded Ami of Tula's choreographed dance at her birthday. They were all in time with each other and the sky shined brightly. The heat was intense. Even where they were seated, Ami could feel the air temperature rise. The benders kept the fire alive for about a minute before obeying the command of parade rest.

The ceremony was over and the crowed started to disperse. Aboard the ships, each captain was giving orders to their crew. After a quarter of an hour, Wos joined them at the box seats.

"When do you ship out?" Covell asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon." Wos explained. He was sitting next to Ami, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I have some free time this afternoon but I have to be back at the ship this evening. My crew has to return first thing in the morning and I want to be ready when they do."

"Will you stay for dinner?" Clyo asked quietly. That was the first time she spoke.

"Yes, of course." Wos smiled. His hand slide down Ami's arm and rested on her waist. "Ami and I will be there."

Ami felt very uncomfortable with Wos holding her so close. She kept her frustrations about this whole situation locked up tight because she was worried about the repercussions on her parents. Now, she wanted to slice him with her sword. "I sincerely apologize, but I am not feeling well at all. I would like to go home and rest."

Wos looked over her with inquiry, not sure if he believed her. "What's wrong?"

"I have a terrible headache and my stomach is bothering me." Ami lied.

"Must be women's anxieties." Covell decided.

"I woke up with the headache this morning and the bright light is not helping any." Ami added for good measure. "I think I just need to lie down for a while."

Wos continued to study her. "Very well, I will take you home." He turned his attention back to his parents, "I will meet you at home."

Ami forced a small smile, all the while fanning the headache. "It was nice to meet you. Thank you for picking me up this morning."

"It was lovely to meet you as well, Ami. And it was our pleasure." Covell smiled and took her hand and kissed it. Clyo smiled and nodded.

Wos escorted Ami to his carriage, leaving his parents to fend for themselves. The footman opened the door for them and Ami climbed inside followed by Wos. He sat next to her and offered for her to lay on him.

"No thank you," She politely refused. "I will be alright."

"You look beautiful. But I can hardly see your dress with it being covered up with the robe." Wos gently started to pull it down from the collar.

Ami's eyes widened again from his boldness. She grasped his hand and placed it on his lap. "There isn't much to see."

He smirked at her. "I highly doubt that." He scooted a little closer.

She scooted further away, but felt the wall behind her. "Under normal circumstances, we would have a chaperone. For the sake of our reputations I would like to pretend we have one."

He smiled at her and took her hand, kissing her knuckles. "I guess I shouldn't spoil our wedding night."

That was alarming. _Was he going to demand more than just kissing from her?_ She tolerated the hand holding and barely kept herself from slicing his throat open when he kissed her. Why were the spirits looking to punish her? Clearly she deserved some reward for not acting on her great desire.

"I think an outdoor wedding would be perfect." Wos ran the pad of his thumb over the back of her hand. "I will have a ring for you when I return."

"I think it might be wise to speak to my father first."

"Quite right. But I'm sure there is nothing to worry about." He squeezed her hand uncomfortable tight. He was reminding her of their discussion the day before. She nodded to keep him appeased. "Have you decided who you want to stand with you?"

"I've never really given it much thought," her patience was wearing thin. "And it has only been a day since we spoke of it. Hardly enough time to make any decisions." Truthfully, she did not want to talk about it anymore. Her pride was screaming at her to knock him down a few pegs and tell him she would rather die than marry him. But she had a plan and was going to see it through. She knew that her parents would never make her commit to anyone she did not love. She did not want to have to involve them since they were focusing on their own mission. Besides, she was leaving the next day and there was nothing Wos could do about that. "My focus has been school and my future as a diplomat."

"When we wed, you won't have to worry about that anymore. I will provide everything you will need." He moved his face close to hers. He gently touched his lips on hers, sealing his promise.

Ami was pressed against the wall with nowhere to escape. She did not doubt him at all that he meant what he said. He wanted to control her in every way possible. She saw how his mother behaved and new she could never be a submissive wife to Wos. She would not be surprised to hear if Clyo suffered physical and mental abuse at the hands of her husband. Wos probably did not know any different on how to treat a woman. He believed that women were meant to obey their husbands and bare him sons.

Wos tried to take their kiss to the next level. She felt his tongue urging her to enter her mouth but she would not open her lips. She was saved from further torture by the carriage coming to a halt. She tried to move to the door when he grabbed her hand again.

"Remember what I said yesterday, Ami." His eyes narrowed on her. "I will be back for you in roughly six months. I expect you to be here waiting for me. Otherwise…" he trailed off and shrugged his shoulders. "Feel better."

Ami lifted her chin and took a deep breath through her nose. "When you return then," she agreed with a small fake smile. _If you come for me, I will fight you until my heart stops beating._ She thought to herself.

She did not look back to watch him pull away. She opened the door and let herself inside the house, bolting it behind her.

"Welcome back, my lady." Celine said as she came to greet her.

"Thank you. Can you discreetly look out of the window and check to see if he's gone?" Ami asked tentatively.

Celine did as she was asked. She pulled back the curtain a little to peak. "The guards just closed the outer gate behind him." She studied Ami before asking, "Would you like some calming tea before we finish packing?"

"Yes please," Ami sighed. "I want to get that done quickly so I can go visit Nolaan before it gets too late. I saw him at the commissioning, but I doubt he would be home yet. I did not get a chance to speak to him while I was there."

"I will be right up with your tea then," Celine reassured her as she made her way to the kitchen.

About an hour later, Ami had everything she wanted to take with her laid out on her bed. Celine would finish packing it for her while she was away. She asked the guard to ready an ostrich horse for her. She could travel quicker that way. When she arrived at Nolaan's house, a servant answered the door.

"I'm sorry miss Ami, but all the masters are out." The familiar servant explained.

"When will they return?" Ami asked.

"I'm not sure, my lady. Master Nolaan deployed this morning just after his ship was commissioned. He parents did not say when they would be coming home."

 _He deployed already? That's not possible! He was supposed to be my ship captain and we aren't scheduled to leave until tomorrow!_ She thought. She could not keep this question to herself. "I thought he was leaving tomorrow?"

"He said something came up and he was leaving sooner than he planned. He did not explain further."

Ami's heart fell to the pit of her stomach. It was bad enough dealing with Wos. Now she did not get to travel on her best friend's ship for the biggest adventure of her lifelike she planned. "Thank you." she headed home with a cloud of disappointment surrounding her. Without a doubt, this was in her top ten worst days of her life.

It was a new day. Ami woke and sent Tula a message to be ready in an hour. She did her morning routine, ate some breakfast and was out the door. Piandao and Mila asked Celine to see her off since they would not be there. She was happy to step in and Ami was grateful.

When they arrived at Tula's house, she was still packing. Ami was not surprised, but she was a little frustrated. Tula was not always the most organized or punctual. She ran around to grab things, and threw them on her bed. Her poor maid decided it was simpler to wait until Tula gave her the all clear before she would put anything in her trunk.

Ami gave her a sympathetic look, and the maid just smiled and shook her head.

"Did you pack warm clothes? Our first stop is the Northern Water Tribe." Ami reminded her best friend.

"Yes, it's on the bed already." Tula answered as she dug through a drawer in her vanity. The maid nodded to confirm.

A half hour later, Ami's patients were starting to run out. Her anxieties were getting the better of her. "Are you about done?"

Tula mumbled something from her closet. She was still running around like a chicken lizard with no head.

"What?"

"I said, 'almost.' I just need this last ah-!" Tula yelled. It sounded like she was reaching for something and a bunch of boxes fell on top of her. The maid and Ami rushed to her aid and found her standing looking defeated with a pile of bags and boxes at her feet. "I think I'm ready now."

"Finally."

Fifteen minutes later, they were out the door and on their way to the palace. Tula's parents insisted on taking their carriage because it could fit the four of them. They were just a nervous and apprehensive as Mila and Piandao. They were giving both girls advice all the way to the front gate of the palace.

Just inside the gate, General Iroh was waiting for them along with two other Ambassador and their vices: The older woman, her name was Vieve. Her vice was a man about the same age as her, Ami wondered if they were husband and wife. The other Ambassador was the calm and relaxed man. His name was Sune, and his vice was another young man who looked like his brother.

"Welcome!" Iroh greeted.

"Thank you!" Ami smiled and bowed. Tula, her parents, and Celine all bowed as well.

"Now that we are all here, it's time to get going."

"Are we the last ones?" Ami asked.

"Yes," Iroh nodded. Ami glanced at Tula, who blushed. "Hubab and Crispos left early this morning. Pollo was ready to go yesterday, so he and his captain departed in the later afternoon. That leaves you three and your vices. Are you ready to meet your captains and be underway?"

"Yes," Vieve assured them. She glanced at Ami and Tula with a slightly annoyed look on her face. She must have arrived first therefore waited the longest.

"Well then, say your goodbyes and we shall be off." Iroh decided.

Ami did not waste any time in hugging Celine. She may be the head maid in her home, but she was also like family. She also hugged Tula's parents when they finished giving their daughter encouragement.

"You two be safe." Tula's mother commanded.

"Yes ma'am," both girls answered.

"Send us messenger hawks as you go." Tula's father smiled.

"I promise." Tula answered.

Celine stepped forward, "and to me, please."

"Of course. See you when we get back!" Ami gave her one more hug before they followed Iroh, Vieve and her vice, and Crispos and his vice to an awaiting carriage. Their things were already loaded onto a wagon ready to go.

The ship yard was bustling with life. Sailors, passengers, merchants, and anyone with business there were rushing in every direction. They came to the first ship.

Iroh stood up and opened the door. "Ami and Tula, this is your ship. If you will follow me, I will introduce you to your captain. Your belongings will be brought to your quarters."

Both girls stood up and followed the old man out.

Ami looked over her shoulder and inside the carriage. "Good luck, all of you."

Vieve was the first to acknowledge her. She smiled and said, "Good luck to you as well."

"Good luck, Lady Ami." Sune added.

General Iroh was half way up the bridge with Tula right behind him when Ami caught up.

The ships name was Yamato. On board, sailors were finishing up their duties to set sail. Iroh lead them to a familiar young man. He was older than Ami and Tula by a couple years. They knew him because he was friends with Nolaan and Wos. He had the coloring of a true Fire Nation citizen, short spiky hair, and a clean shaven face.

"Puka!" Ami smiled at him. "This is your ship?"

"Do you know all the captains, Lady Ami?" Iroh laughed and shook his head. "So much for me introducing you."

"I'm sorry General," Ami looked blushed. "We know each other because he is friends with my friend Captain Nolaan. We met last year."

Tula stepped into the conversation. "Was it the winter solstice that you came home with Nolaan?"

Puka nodded, "I believe so." He stood facing the three of them in a semi relaxed stance, with his hands crossed behind him. His red uniform was pressed perfectly, and his boots were polished to a shine. He looked confident and calm, ready to take on the future ahead of them. "It's wonderful to be working with some familiar faces."

"Likewise," Tula smiled.

"Well," General Iroh interjected. "Since you all know each other, I'm going to wish you good luck on your voyage. Remember what we discussed about reaching out for help. Feel free to send us updates on how things are going. And see you when you return."

He turned to leave, but Ami walked next to him to the edge of the ship. "General Iroh, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"I thought I was supposed to be on Captain Nolaan's ship. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be on Captain Puka's ship. But I was wondering why the change?" Ami asked.

Iroh sighed. "Nolaan came to the palace yesterday and asked if he could switch ambassadors and leave that afternoon. He did not say why."

"Did he know that I was supposed to be his ambassador?" Ami could not hide her disappointment.

"Yes, all the captains were notified by message about whom they were to be with before they met with us. Did something happen between you two?"

Ami shook her head. "I did not see him yesterday. I asked him to come over with Tula, but he never showed up. The last time I saw him was at my birthday. And I thought we were on good terms when he left. He promised that he would try to see me again before he left."

Iroh held her hand softly. "Everything will be alright, Ami. I doubt his reason for switching and sudden leave was naught to do with you."

"I hope your right."

Iroh gave her a gentle hug. "Take care of yourself. Don't be too reckless, or your mother with have my hide."

"I'll try." Ami forced a small smile. She bowed to him and he returned it before exiting the ship.

Puka cleared his throat. "We should be ready to leave in the next twenty minutes. I will have someone show you to your quarters and give you a tour of the ship. Make sure that you have everything and that you familiarize yourself with your surroundings. If you get lost, ask one of the sailors to help you if you can't find me. I need to see to some duties before we can get underway."

"Sounds like a plan," Tula agreed.

Ami reached out and touched his shoulder before he could leave. "When you get some spare time, I would like to sit down and discuss a few things with you."

"Sure." He nodded. "I will come find you for dinner."

Later that evening, The Yamato was out of sight of Fire Nation shores and they were headed North. Ami, Tula, and Puka ate dinner together and Ami explained her history and personal interest in this journey. Puka was a little apprehensive. He did not know how he felt about Ami using Fire Nation resources for her own personal gain. Ami reassured him that her first priority was the task given to her by Fire Lord Zuko, and her past was second. Eventually, he agreed to help her, stressing the safety of the crew and everyone on board, the ship, and the mission. He might be a stickler for the rules and wanted to maintain an honorable integrity for him and his people. But he did want to help his friend.

When she was about to go to bed, she wrote her parents a message. She told them about Tula, Puka, the ship and how excited she was to begin her journey. She told them how much she missed them, but wished them the best of luck on their mission. She decided to leave any information out about Wos. There was no sense in worrying them over nothing.

She knew that Wos was out there doing the same mission she was, just on a different part of the world. There was a chance that they might meet at Republic City, but she would worry about that when the time came. She focused on the task at hand. The Northern Water Tribe was the first stop and she needed to re-read customs of their culture, possibly her culture. She did not realize how tired she was until she fell asleep reading.


	6. Chapter 5

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

 _Pronunciations_

 _Ami: Ah-mEE_

 _Tula: Too-la_

 _Nolaan: No-lawn_

 _Puka: Poo-kah_

 _Trisc: Like Triscuit but without the cracker. Lol. I know probably one of the stupidest jokes I ever make._

 _Peto: Peh-toe_

* * *

"We will run out of fuel and supplies before we find the Northern Water Tribe." Puka explained.

"It's been two weeks, Ami." Tula was beyond impatient. "How much long are we going to search this frozen wasteland? Clearly they don't want to be found."

"As long as it takes," Ami was getting more annoyed with her best friend by the minute. "I just have a strong feeling that we are close and I'm not willing to give up just yet. I think this port will be our biggest challenge. If we can handle this group of people, whom was able to withstand many attacks by the Fire Nation, we can handle anything."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's the only reason." Tula mumbled. Ami raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired of being cold."

"I told you to pack some warm clothes." Ami chastised.

Puka was dumbfounded. "How are you cold? You are a firebender."

"Um, hello! We live in the Fire Nation! I'm used to tropical weather!" Tula defended herself. "And we are in the _North Pole!_ No amount of 'warm weather clothing' made in the Fire Nation would be able to compete with this climate."

Ami could not help but agree to both of them. On one hand, Puka was right. How could she be _so_ cold if she was a firebender? On the other hand, there were not many options to warm clothes because they were not necessary for life in a naturally warm climate.

She was certainly cold. But the cold never bothered her anyway. _Huh, that has a nice ring to it._ She assumed that her Water Tribe heritage had something to do with that.

She had not told her friends, because she did not want to get her hopes up. When she saw the first iceberg, she had a flashback. She was standing on the ice, watching penguins play and jumping in the water. Then it was over. She did not have many of them. They were mostly just this feeling that she had seen a place like this before.

Later that evening, Ami finally ready to go to bed. She admitted that she was getting anxious from the searching and the random flashbacks. If they did not find it Northern Water Tribe soon, they would have no choice but to turn around to restock and refuel.

She had gone through some of her sword movements to keep her nerves calm. It helped her keep a sense of peace and control of the current situation. When she wore herself out, she settled into her bed. Almost asleep, then Puka pounded on her door.

"Ami! Hurry above deck! We are about to have company!" Puka yelled.

She jumped up and dressed in her warmest clothes the quickest she ever had in her life. She grabbed her sword and raced up to the top deck. It was difficult to see what was going on because of the night. The ship lights were helpful, but what really made the battle visible were the firebenders, and the almost full moon. It was high and bright, giving the waterbenders strength to overpower the firebenders.

"Stand down!" Ami shouted, but no one would listen to her. Puka and Tula joined her and tried to help. "Cease fighting! Please!"

One of the waterbenders turned to her and started sending water and ice at her. She dodged out of the way and defended with her sword. "We come with a peace offering! Please listen!"

"The Fire Nation doesn't understand the meaning of peace!" The man shouted. He kept coming at her again and again with strong force.

She used her sword to slice at the ice and water, but it would only last for so long. This is one of the times that she wished her bending was more disciplined and stronger. "We won't harm you!"

"Oh, I know!" He mocked and glared at her.

"I promise we don't want any problems."

"If that's true, than surrender!"

Her actions took him by surprise. She raised her sword high above her head so everyone could see, and tossed it at his feet. "Please take care of that. It was my grandfather's."

The man immediately shot ice at her, put her hands in frozen cuffs. He scooped up her sword and tied it to his belt. Tula and Puka followed her lead and surrendered. The rest of the crew did the same. The Water Tribe warriors gathered the whole crew on deck and bound them.

The crew was not sure what would happen next, they were able to shield their worry and fear from their captures. Puka tried to speak to them, asking for their leader, but he was ignored. For over an hour, they waited in the cold air. The only saving grace was the firebenders did not have frozen cuffs, so they could not be melted away. They helped keep the nonbenders warm with their naturally higher body temperature.

"Who is the captain?" One of the waterbenders demanded, even though Puka already identified himself previously.

"I am." Puka rose onto his knees to set himself apart.

The waterbenders pulled him from the crew as more Water Tribe warriors climbed on board. They forced him to kneel in front of an old gray haired man who was dressed in elaborate regalia; he must be the chief or king.

"Who are you?" The man asked.

Puka straightened his posture proudly. "I am Captain Puka of the Fire Nation Navy. Who are you?"

"I am Chief Arnook." He answered proudly. "Why are you here?"

"We come peacefully in the name of Fire Lord Zuko. Ambassador Ami speaks on his behalf."

"Bring him forward."

Ami stood and waited to be escorted. A waterbender took hold of her elbow and forced her to kneel beside Puka. The chief seemed to be surprised by Ami.

"Your ambassador is a woman?" he asked Puka.

Ami looked to the chief and nodded. "My name is-"

"You will wait to be addressed by Chief Arnook!" The man who held her elbow roared into her ear.

"Step back, Trisc." Chief Arnook commanded. He stood before Ami and looked down on her. "Speak, woman."

Ami shook off Trisc's hold and maintained eye contact with the chief. She was agitated by the man's arrogance but she kept her tone in check. "My name is Ami, and I am a Royal Peace Ambassador for the Fire Nation. I am uniquely qualified. Captain Puka speaks true. We are solely here for the purpose of apologizing on behalf of the Fire Nation and the royal family."

The man raised an eyebrow at her and sneered. "Apology not accepted."

"But-," Ami started.

"But nothing!" the chief shouted at her. She did not cower at rage, which he expected from her. "Do you really think that mere words would fix everything? That a sincere apology would undo history? The Fire Nation came here, destroyed our home, and murdered our people and a sacred spirit."

Everyone was silent, listening to the heated discussion. While the chief glared down at Ami, the only thing that could be heard was the waves lapping against the hall of the ship. Ami softened her gaze while she studied him. She was prepared for lethal hostility and trouble along her journey. And she was not unsympathetic, but there was nothing she could do if he sent them away. That thought made her even more anxious. She did not want to leave the Northern Water Tribe without any answers to her questions.

"Fire Lord Zuko understands that there is nothing he can do to right the wrong of crimes the Fire Nation has committed to you, your people, and the spirits. But we have come in his name bringing various goods as gifts, no strings attached." Ami stressed.

"There is nothing we could possibly want or need from the Fire Nation. We have survived before and after the war without help from you." The chief stated and his warriors nodded in agreement behind him. "You are not welcome here. Leave the Northern Water Tribe territory immediately and do not come back."

Ami felt like she fell into the freezing water. Her chance to find out about her past was slipping away. "What can we do to assure you that we mean no harm and that Fire Lord Zuko only wishes to right the wrongs brought by his father and grandfathers?"

Arnook studied her more. His gaze traveled over her face and features. He saw her sword sheath on her belt. "Who are you really?"

"Excuse me?" Ami was confused at his question.

His suspicions of her were coming through in his questions. "You say that you are a Royal Peace Ambassador for the Fire Nation. But your heritage bares Earth Nation. Where are you really from? Do you have any proof that you come from the Fire Lord?"

"Yes," Ami answered firmly. "In my quarters, you will find a proclamation with his royal seal. I will gladly fetch it for you."

"So be it." He nodded to Trisc who pulled Ami to her feet. "Escort Ambassador Ami to her quarters and allow her to fetch her proof."

Trisc motioned for another warrior to accompany them. They did not release the cuffs from her when they pulled her to her feet. When they reached her quarters, she gave exact instructions on where to find it in her desk. The found it easily enough, but they also started looking through the rest of the room.

Ami had nothing to hide from them. She always wore her tooth necklace so she was not worried about them finding it in her room. The second warrior stood by and kept watch over her while Trisc ransacked the area. They had searched everywhere, probably for weapons or some clue if she was lying about who she claimed to be. By the time they were done, her room was a mess.

Trisc stared at her with a smirk on his face. He made no intension to hide his bold gaze as he looked over her from head to toe.

"I hope you found what you were looking for," Ami glared at him. Her patience was running out with him.

"I believe so." Trisc said. He grabbed her elbow in one hand and held the proclamation in the other. He pushed her to follow the other warrior back on deck.

The other warrior ran to the chief and whispered something in his ear. The chief listened carefully then turned to look at Ami, who was forcefully being shoved to her knees next to Puka once more. Trisc handed him the proclamation.

He read it over and studied the seal carefully. He believed it to be real, but he was still apprehensive. He thought she was hiding something. She wanted something more than just to give gifts.

"You still have not answered my question." Chief Arnook's gaze intensified on Ami. "Where are you really from?"

Ami took a deep breath from her nose and raised her chin to him. She wanted to find out more about her heritage, but she did not want the rest of the crew to hear about it as well. With no way around it, she sighed. "Like you said, clearly I look like I'm from the Earth Nation. I don't remember my childhood. I was found washed up on the shores of Ember Island when I was twelve. Fire Lord Zuko chose me to be an Ambassador because he thought that the other villages we are to visit would listen to what I have to say since I have Earth Nation in my blood."

"Or they will think you are a traitor."

Now it was Ami's turn to glare. "I was raised in the Fire Nation, and now that I am traveling, I do hope to learn about what became of my family. I was alone on the beach when I was found. No one reported me missing, or did anyone come looking for me."

Again the whole ship was quiet. Ami was a mystery to nearly everyone. The only people who knew about Ami's past were her family, her three friends, and the royal family. Everyone wanted to hear more.

Ami took a chance and rose to her feet. Trisc was about to shove her back down when the chief motioned him to stop. "Chief Arnook, I am here a servant of the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Zuko, and to the world. I want peace and prosperity for everyone. International cooperation is possible. I have traveled to the Northern Water Tribe with a small peaceful crew, to assure you that justice is being served in the Fire Nation to those who deserve it. Also to bring a small peace offering, with the promise that more will come if you wish it. If not, we will leave and report to Fire Lord Zuko that the Fire Nation is not welcome in these waters."

The chief listened intently and studied Ami. He seemed to be pondering everything she said. "You will come with me as a guest into our Tribe. Your ship and the crew will remain here."

The Water Tribe Warriors did not give her a chance to give any instruction to Tula or Puka before they roughly escorted her to the side of the ship. It was surrounded by at least half a dozen war boats. Each boat could hold around ten passengers. In numbers, both sides were evenly matched. But the Water Tribe had the moon on their side. Even Ami could feel the power it possessed.

She wondered how she was to get down to their small war boats that were twenty five feet below. She did not have to wait long. The warriors froze water into ice, making slides to each boat. One by one they slid down and took their positions.

"Wait! Where are you taking her?" Puka demanded.

The Chief took his knife from his belt and approached him. "We are taking her to the city. If you try to stop us, or follow us, we will sink this ship with everyone on it and execute your Ambassador. Do you understand?"

"I'll be fine, Puka!" Ami called over her shoulder. "Just do what he says. I will be back soon."

Puka did not like this situation at all. "Rest assured, Chief Arnook, if she is harmed while in your company, it will not only be my ship you will have to worry about."

"Rest assured, young captain, if you what you all claim is the truth you have nothing to fear." Arnook countered. He turned Puka around and cut the rope that bound his hands and gave him the proclamation. "You may release your crew when I give you a signal. If you do it before then or try to stop or follow us, I will tie your ambassador's feet together and toss her in the water. Do you understand?" he whispered in Puka's ear.

Puka nodded his agreement. "What is your signal?"

He watched the chief walk to Ami and pushed her down the slide to a boat. "A wave," he answered before following Ami down the ice slide. With haste, Puka went to the side and saw the Water Tribe warriors bend the water and push their boats away from the ship and melt the slides. If he was not so furious and worried he would have been amazed at the sight. He caught Ami's nods, reassuring him that she would be fine.

When the boats were about a mile away, he saw the chief bend a great wave high into the air. It moved the boats away even faster and signaled to Puka that he could release his crew. One by one, everyone was free.

Tula ran to Puka as he started barking orders to his crew and making his way to the bridge. "What are we going to do?"

Puka racked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "We don't have any choice. We have to wait for Ami to return."

"What do you mean, we have to wait!" Tula shouted in fury. "We can't just stand by and watch them take her captive!"

"If we go after them, they will tie her up and drown her, then they will sink our ship." Puka answered forcefully. "Do not forget, Tula, this is supposed to be a peaceful mission. Trust Ami to do what she must. Believe me, it's just as difficult for me to stand back and do nothing as it is for you to watch it."

Ami sat in the war boat with four waterbenders on all sides. The rest of them bent the water to move the boat forward. She watched in awe as Chief Arnook formed a massive wave that launched him and his small fleet away from The Yamato. She silently praised him in his abilities and hoped that one day she could do that.

"Which direction are we going?" Ami asked. She was so turned around she had no idea which way they were facing.

"Away." Trisc answered curtly. He was sitting on her left, and the other bender who went with them to her quarters was sitting on her right.

"Clearly," Ami counted with equal attitude. She knew that it probably was not the most diplomatic thing to say or have a tone with it. She was able to keep a level head and focus on her duty and her personal mission. But this guy was getting under her freezing skin. She may be a waterbender and possibly from either the Northern or Southern Tribes; but she, like Tula, was used to tropical weather. It was impossible to stifle shivers.

"Trisc! Peto! Move closer to Ambassador Ami so she does not freeze to death before we get home." Chief Arnook ordered. Trisc had no problem with this; Peto was a little more apprehensive. "I would rather it be a public execution if's necessary."

Trisc snickered at the last remark. "I would be happy to take her off your hands, Chief. No need to soil your hands or reputation."

Peto glared at his fellow warrior.

"I appreciate the offer; however one Fire Nation official would not be enough to soil my hands and reputation, Trisc. It is also none of your concern." Chief Arnook did not bother to look at them as he led the benders in bringing them to their destination.

Out of nowhere, a great wall of ice appeared. There were faint lights coming from the other side. Shadows of people on top of the wall guarded against intruders. As they moved closer, part of the wall melted away from the top to the water, allowing them entrance.

If she thought the Chief's wave was impressive, then she was in complete shock of this great city made of ice. There were sidewalks and waters ways for transportation. It looked like the city was about ten miles long, but most of the people lived and worked on top of each other. There were tunnels that ran inside the iceberg. How far they went was a mystery. It was truly a spectacular city. And the people that inhabited this land were truly spectacular as well.

That being said, there were not many people out. It had to be after midnight so that was understandable. But the further they went inside, the more people started emerging from their homes. They cheered and clapped that their leader and warriors were returning safe and sound. With the limited light of the moon and some torches, some were surprised to see what they brought back with them.

When they finally stopped, the docked near what looked to be a grand council house. The waterbenders emptied the boats and Chief Arnook sent Peto and other warriors to summon his advisors. Trisc grasped Ami's elbow and escorted her up the stairs behind the chief.

She tried to shrug him off but he stepped closer and held tighter.

"I would think for someone who is as poorly dressed for this temperature as you, would not be trying to push away the one person who wants to help keep you warm." Trisc whispered in her ear.

"I wonder why you would bother to help me keep warm considering I'm from the Fire Nation." Ami could not keep the bite out of her voice as she glared into his eyes.

He looked amused. "Well, I'm willing to tolerate an adopted Fire/Earth Nation woman in my bed for a night or two. I can appreciate the passion and strength that comes from someone of your upbringing."

"Trisc!" Chief Arnook yelled from the top of the stairs. "I would like our guest to join us _inside_ the council house."

She found herself kneeling once more in the center of the room facing a semi circle of advisors and Chief Arnook. They were seated cross leg on a platform higher than any other space so they could be seen by everyone in the room. For the time being, Ami was alone. Not even the warriors were present. She wanted to take in the beautiful architecture of the room. The details in the ice molding were exquisite. Some parts were smooth and shiny, others were frosty and textured. The walls had various pictures and scenes of events of this great nation. One was familiar.

She read about it in her history scrolls. The last time the Fire Nation attacked, the moon spirit was murdered. With the moon blacked out and world out of balance, the Fire Nation was able to cause a lot of terror and mayhem. They used the lunar eclipse to their advantage, when the waterbenders would be completely defensesless. It was a terrible time and she was ashamed of that part of history.

Ami sat still and straight, waiting to be acknowledged by the chief and the council. At the moment, they were all talking amongst themselves. Exhaustion was beginning to take over and Ami thought she would fall asleep sitting up. Fear and adrenaline were keeping her awake before. She knew her body could continue at its current pace. It was all mind over matter. She just wanted to ignore it and let herself relax.

A throat cleared, and everyone looked to the Chief. Ami readjusted her posture to be more comfortable.

"Ambassador Ami," Chief Arnook addressed. "Do you know what day this is?"

She was surprised by this question. She was not expecting her hearing to begin this way. "Yes, it's fifteenth day of the forth month."

"Correct. This is a special day. We celebrate the moon spirit and honor the sacrifice that was given to keep our people safe. That sacrifice was freely given to save us from a terrible attack brought on by the very people you are representing." Chief Arnook's voice continued to get louder as he spoke, until he was just under shouting. He must not have realized he was leaning forward until he relaxed and sat back. "We were warned about the Fire Nation sending a messenger by Water Master Katara. She asked me to trust the new Fire Lord. She assured me that he was nothing like his father or any of his predecessors. I want to make it very clear that my trust is extended to him and you only because she spoke of you first. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that you would have returned to your home unscathed."

Ami nodded. _What am I to say to that?_ She sent a prayer to the spirits to give her the words she would need. "May I?" she asked to speak on her behalf. When he nodded, she carefully rose to her feet, wanting to by eye level, or as close as possible, with them. "I know there is nothing I can say or do which will change the past. I do not want to sweep it all under the rug or pretend that it did not happen. There were a lot of people who were affected by the terrible things that were brought on by individuals and unfortunately done in the name of a whole nation. However, not everyone agreed with those individuals and some suffered terrible fates as well. On behalf of Fire Lord Zuko, I bring forth a sincere apology for what his father and grandfathers has done. He wishes to make amends and sends gifts, with a promise of more to come if you wish it. Unfortunately, all the nations were affected by these horrendous acts and there are so many places that need aid. That is why he sent me and five others to be his Royal Peace Ambassadors and speak in his name. If there is anything I can do, please let me serve you." She bowed her head and thanked the spirits.

The council house was dead silent. All the advisors and Chief Arnook were staring at her. She could feel their eyes on her.

"Guards!" Chief Arnook shouted. He stood and the advisors did as well. He walked down from the platform and stood before her as the warriors came and held her still. Not that she was fighting. She needed to earn their trust, not give them cause the kill her.

"I'm going to take you to a special place inside our home. It is a holy place. Outsiders are not welcome since the last time the Fire Nation attacked. Outsiders have been deemed untrustworthy. You will be escorted there, and be judged by the spirits that inhabit this oasis. If you are unworthy, well, let's just hope that you are; for your sake. If they prove you worthy, you will be welcomed further." He nodded to the warrior behind her.

She barely had time to register what was going to be happening when they blindfolded her. She felt the cuffs get wider and tighter around her wrists behind her back. Two hands grasped her shoulders and guide her where to go. There were at least three guards, one on either side of her and one behind, possibly a forth in front of her.

"Make sure she doesn't trip and fall," Chief Arnook said as he led the parade.

"You take all the fun out of it, Chief." Trisc whined from behind her. She wondered if he held both her shoulders to direct her where to go.

To say that Ami was not scared would be a lie. She was terrified; she just refused to show it. It was not too hard to do since her eyes were covered. She believed in her cause, she believed with her whole being that international cooperation and peace were possible. And she believed she was not alone. Many people in the Fire Nation were tired of war. They were tired of watching their sons and daughters leave home to fight in something that was oppressing others; and was not really making their country better. With that thought, the spirits would not judge her unworthy. They couldn't.

It felt like they were walking for hours. With limited senses it was difficult to tell how far they traveled. She did notice the temperature difference and the lack of light. The further they walked, the warmer it got, like the ice insulated the tunnel. She could tell through her blindfold that the light was dim.

Suddenly she felt the ground beneath her change. It was not solid ice, but wood. A few more steps and it turned into something soft. She wondered if she was walking on animal skin rugs. When they stopped, the air was humid and warm. Ami welcomed the warmth and tried to relax. They must have reached the holy place because Trisc forced her to stop. He pulled the blindfold off and she was able to take in the sight.

The council house was beautiful, but there was something extra special about this holy place. They were standing on a tiny island, surrounded by water, inside the middle of the iceberg. There was grass, bushes, rocks, even a couple trees and they were all not frozen. There was an archway that did not seem to lead anywhere, with a small pond in front of it. She looked into the water and saw two coy fish swimming in circles. One was black with a white spot on its head, and the other white with a black spot.

Chief Arnook stood under the archway across the pond from her. "Ambassador Ami, welcome to the Spirit Oasis of the Northern Water Tribe. I would like to introduce you to The Moon and Ocean Spirits." He nodded and Trisc took the cue. He roughly guided her knee deep into the pond and the coy stopped swimming and faced her. "Let's see if they have faith in you."

Trisc immediately left her to her own devices in the pond. To anyone who did not believe in the spirit world or that spirits even existed would probably think her fear foolish. But Ami knew what they were capable of after learning the fate of Commander Zhao. They were not to be underestimated.

Ami remained as still as possible. The coy began to swim again, making a large circle around her. They started off slow, but picked up speed. Pretty soon they were making a world pool in the pond and it was nearly impossible to see the spirits except for blurred figures. She had no idea how deep the pond was. She did not feel the bottom of it sink, but the water started to rise around her; trapping her in a cylinder of water. It went higher and higher, finally it rose above her head.

The coy fish's eyes and spots started to glow. They grew in size and morphed their shape. Neither of them looked completely solid, but translucent. She wondered if Chief Arnook and the warriors could see this. It was nearly impossible to believe it if she was not present to witness this amazing event.

The black coy formed into a human man. He was handsome; and looked like he was from the Water Tribe. With his long dark hair and goatee, tan skin and slender build. He was dressed in dark ocean blue and black robes.

The white coy fish also turned human, into the beautiful angelic girl who saved her from drowning when she was twelve. Ami recognized her instantly as the Moon spirit.

"It's you! I knew you were the Moon Spirit!" Ami was so happy and relieved that she had met the Moon Spirit before. "You saved my life!"

The Moon Spirit smiled and nodded.

The Ocean Spirit spoke first. "Lady Ami, Royal Peace Ambassador of the Fire Nation. You have been charged with a difficult task ahead of you. You accepted this job with the idea of helping bring peace to the world."

All Ami could do was nod. She was dumbstruck that the Ocean Spirit was speaking to her.

"You have also come with the hope of finding your lost family and strengthen your abilities as a waterbender." The Moon Spirit added. She moved her hands and bended the ice cuffs away to free her hands. "Your search will not be in vain. I watched you be swept into the ocean by a mighty wave during a terrible storm. I saved you from joining us in the spirit world prematurely. Your family of both Water and Earth nations are closer than you think. They have been praying for your safe return and will be joyous to find you. Have no fear. As Ocean and Moon, we will be with you, and teach you the ancient ways of bending."

Both Spirits held up their hands in front of them. They touched one hand of palms together and held the other up for her. Carefully, she tried to keep the trembling from being noticed, she flattened her palm against the Moon Spirit's hand first, then the Ocean Spirit.

They only way to describe the feeling she was experience were like standing on the beach and letting the gentle waves roll over her feet and legs. Only this feeling covered her whole body. The flow of energy started in her veins in her hands where she was touching the spirits. It carried on up her arms to her heart and filled her whole being. She felt calm and strong. She sensed that the spirits were preparing her for a great change and trails ahead. She felt at peace knowing that they would always be with her.

She could see the energy too. When they touched hands, the glow that they coy fish gave off was appearing in her veins, shining through her skin. She watched it move up her arms and travel the rest of her body.

When the glowing energy reached her brain, she saw flashes of scenes of the ancient past. The first was the ocean and moon spirit bending water. It was awe striking to watch the flowing but steady movements. They were swift and strong, just like water. It brought for a sense of healing and power. More visions came, displaying the sub-styles: healing, blood, and plant bending. Ami could see the positive value in all of it and she could hardly wait to start learning.

After a few more moments, the spirits and Ami dropped their hands. Ami studied her palms for a moment, seeing the emblem of the moon tattooed on her left palm, and the emblem on the ocean on her right.

"Remember, we are always with you." The Moon spirit reminded her as they shrank and morphed into their coy forms. The waters around her descended to fill the pond back to its original state. The spirits resumed their circling dance around each other.

"Did you guys see that?!" Ami turned around with a huge smile on her face; she was hardly able to believe what just happened.

Clearly Chief Arnook and his warriors could hardly believe it either. They were just as dumbstruck as she was. She held up her palms for them to see the marks that the spirits gave her as she walked out of the pond.

The chief took hold of her wrist and studied her hand, then the other one. He looked her in the eyes and offered a small smile. "Ambassador Ami, the Ocean and Moon spirits judged you to be worthy of their holy marks. You have truly been blessed. _You_ are welcome here in our tribe always and forever." He turned to his warriors, "please escort Ambassador Ami to our finest room available." He turned back to her, "if you will join us, tonight we are holding a feast in the Moon Spirit's honor. It would please me greatly to have you be our guest."

Ami smiled at him. "It would be my honor."

Chief Arnook had explained to his advisors about what had taken place in the Spirit Oasis. He told them of how the spirits accepted and blessed Ami. He started to get tears in his eyes when he described the human forms the spirits turned into and how magnificent it was. Ami wondered what brought on his apparent sadness and struggle. She chose not to ask for fear of he was afraid of insulting him. Men did not like to cry in public, let alone being comforted by a complete stranger.

When they were dismissed, Ami took a chance and asked him if she could return to the ship and bring Tula and Puka with her to the feast. She explained how Tula was her vice ambassador and it would be beneficial to have her witness this. Puka was her friend and she wanted him to share in this experience.

Chief Arnook thought about it for a moment, but eventually agreed. He said that later in the morning, as it was three o'clock, he would have a fleet escort her to the ship and bring them back. He made it clear that all other firebenders and Fire Nation personnel were to stay on the ship and in the location in which they were left. It would take a significant amount of time before any Fire Nation people would be welcome in the Northern Water Tribe. For now, she would have to compromise with just the three of them, and allow having a waterbender escort her everywhere she went. For safety reasons only.

Ami was satisfied with the answer and would not push her luck by demanding someone other than Trisc be her escort. Peto also offered and they would take turns. But Trisc was a nuisance to her and she just wanted him out of her hair.

Trisc took her inside the ice palace and showed her where would be staying. It was a little unnerving that he knew where her room was. She had had enough of bothersome men in her life. She had no desire for another. Ever since her birthday, men seemed to realize that she was a woman. Her looks were also completely unique from what they were used to seeing in the women of their nations. She figured that played a big part in the unwanted attention. Before that they pretty much ignored her. She would pay to have that back now. She was hopeful that when they traveled to the Earth Kingdom she would not stand out so much.

"Thank you," Ami said as he opened the door and stepped aside. Not enough that passage way was clear; she would have to touch him in order to get by. "Excuse me."

He did not budge. Instead he smiled down at her and crossed his arms over his chest. Ami glared back up at him. He was at least six inches taller than her. He checked her out again from head to toe, so Ami sized him up as well.

She had to admit, he had a reason to be cocky. He was a well built young man, a handsome face, a warrior directly under the chief, and a talented waterbender. Any girl would be flattered by his attention, but not her. She was about to ask him to move again when she noticed something out of place and shining on his uniform.

"May I have my sword back, please?" Ami asked politely.

Trisc glanced down his side at the sword and pondered for a moment. "No, you surrendered it. That's the spoils of war, darling."

"We are not at war." Ami corrected him. "And I'm _not_ your darling."

"Tell you what, I'll let you duel me for it." Trisc stepped forward so he was only a few inches away. "If you prove that you can handle such a weapon, may I'll let you-"

Her patience was gone. His cockiness, Mackin's challenge, and her anger about Wos finally got the better of her. She balled her fists and used her knuckles to numb his arm. He tried to push her away, but with one arm out of the picture, he was done for. She ducked from his swing, and hit the same pressure points on the other arm, making that one fall limp as well. He looked so furious and helpless, it was almost comical.

Ami took her sword back and sheathed it in its proper place and gently nudged him out of her way. She was grateful that her mother showed her how to temporarily immobilize people if you used enough force in very specific pressure points. Since her bending was not up to par, and if she ever found herself without her sword, she would not be completely defenseless.

Once inside, she locked the door and leaned against it. The room was dark so she could not see much if it. There was a small lantern sitting on the bedside table and the curtains were pulled shut over the window. She found the bed easily enough, and decided to explore the room better when the sun came up. And it would be sooner than she would like anyhow.


	7. Chapter 6

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

 _Pronunciations_

 _Ami: Ah-mEE_

 _Tula: Too-la_

 _Nolaan: No-lawn_

 _Puka: Poo-kah_

 _Trisc: Like Triscuit but without the cracker. Lol. I know probably one of the stupidest jokes I ever make._

 _Peto: Peh-toe_

So this chapter and the next are about half the size of the previous chapters. I'm trying something a little different and breaking them up. I felt like they were too overwhelming, but I did not know where to break them up. Let me know what you think!

* * *

A pounding on the door woke her from a restless sleep. She had no idea what time it was, but her body and mind were well aware that she only received a couple hours of sleep.

"Ambassador Ami?" a voice called through the door. "Chief Arnook has a boat waiting for you when you are ready to go."

"Thank you!" She sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes and temple. Looking around the room, she saw a small mirror hanging on the wall. She was able to make her hair look presentable by using her fingers as a comb, and then loosely braided it down the side. It would be enough to keep her long red locks out of her face, until she would be able to properly bathe. She did not take the time to look around the room further because she did not want to keep the boat waiting any longer.

Opening the door, she half expected to see Trisc. She was grateful to be wrong. The feeling of relief washed over her when she saw Peto standing on the other side. He had short hair, defined cheek bones, and bright blue eyes. He had a kind face and he was not much taller than her. He wore a dark blue coat with silver and blue stones on it, with seams of some kind of white fur. He also wore matching pants and gray boots.

She smiled at him, "good morning."

"Good morning," he returned it. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, thank you." Ami answered.

"I brought you this," he handed her a warm coat, similar to his in color and style. "I barrowed it from my sister, she is about your size."

"I will take good care of it." She followed him out of the palace back to the waterway that had not only a boat for her, but the same other five war boats. "Chief Arnook doesn't believe that we won't cause the Northern Water Tribe harm, does he?"

Peto was confused by her question. He held out his hand and helped her into the boat. "Why do you ask that?"

"You are taking the same war boats today that you took last night to attack our ship." Ami pointed out while she took her seat. "Are you expecting a battle?"

Peto signaled that they were ready to go and sat next to her. "It's just for precaution. It has been a long time since the Fire Nation was here and even longer since they've been welcome. Chief Arnook made it very clear that we are to bring you, and two others back with us. The rest must remain on the ship, away from the city."

"But what about delivering the gifts?" Ami countered.

"You will have to take that up with him." Peto answered. "For now, it will be just the three of you."

"How much time will we have on the Yamato?"

"An hour," he looked at her and studied her again. He looked like he was going to say something, but changed his mind.

This time, as they traveled Ami asked Peto questions about the city. He explained that the main mode of transportation was the rivers that weaved in, out, and around the city. There were sidewalks as well, that led pedestrians in all directions of the city, including up on roof tops, and down deep in tunnels of the ice. Not only did people live inside the city, but there were many small villages further inland. The city was the only port for the Northern Water Tribe and the only lifeline to the rest of the world.

They had a main market place where the people set up shops; some even lived above or below them. There were all kinds of trades and services that they offered to keep life going, including: food, weaponry, clothing, medical, and religious purposes.

The people mostly survived on what they were able to catch in the ocean for food. Others were experimenting with having what they would call a frozen garden. There were a few swamp people that traveled to the Northern Water Tribe since the war ended, and brought with them various plants; along with wood and rocks for building and other household uses.

He told her about how traveling between the water tribes happened more regularly than it ever had before. Now, the only threats were pirates. Some of his people have traveled to Republic City and decided to remain there. Others, like his relatives, traveled to the Southern Tribe quite some time ago to help rebuild there. They had come back a couple times to give reports to the chief.

Ami was so joyful to hear that this great nation was already starting to move forward. "It sounds like the Fire Nation has some catching up to do in comparison to your people."

"Everyone has to start somewhere."

"Have you ever left the North Pole?"

"Not yet, but I want too." Peto admitted. "This is my home, and I will always love it. But I also know that there is more to the world than my little block of ice. My cousin is the same age as me, and he has traveled between the north and south poles twice. As well as making stops on Kyoshi Island and other Earth Nation villages. I want to see the things he has seen."

"What's stopping you?" Ami asked.

"A number of things," Peto explained with a shrug. "My parents don't want me to leave because they are afraid that I won't come back."

"Don't you think they would want to travel with you?"

"No, they are happy here. When my uncle left, that left the family name to my father, and it will be up to me when he's gone to uphold it."

"Do you have just the one sister?"

"Yeah."

"What's her name?"

"Atta, she's two years younger than me." Peto smiled as he thought about his sister. "She's a wild one. How about you? Do you have any siblings?"

Ami shook her head. "Not with my adoptive parents. My mom was not able to have children. So when they found me washed up on the beach, I was the answer to her prayers. I don't remember my biological family. The doctors said I may never remember."

"I'm sorry." Peto looked sad for her, but bewildered.

"It is what it is," Ami said. She had been able to come to terms with it a long time ago. "My life could be much worse. My adoptive father is a famous sword master in the Fire Nation, and my mother actually is one of the last decedents of the ancient Sun Warriors. They took me in, loved and cared for me, put me in the best schools the Fire Nation had to offer, and trained me to be a master swordswoman as well. I could not ask for more. I have been blessed."

"And now you have been given a holy blessing from the spirits." Peto agreed. He continued to study her, and the look on his face said that he was contemplating something. "You are fortunate."

Ami wanted to know what he was thinking. "What?"

"Nothing," Peto turned away and saw that they were almost there. "There's your ship."

Captain Puka must have had someone keeping watch. The horn blasted, announcing the arrival of the fleet. The upper deck was flooded with all spare crew members. Ami waved her hands to signal that she was okay.

When they pulled up alongside, the waterbenders made ice stairs for easy access. Ami went first so she could prepare Puka, Tula, and the crew before they were boarded.

"Hello!" Ami called and smiled. "I'm alright, everything is fine!"

Tula ran up and hugged her friend. "I was so worried about you!"

"Have you been harmed?" Puka asked, looking her over, checking for signs of blood or bruising.

"I'm perfectly fine, actually more than fine!" Ami explained. "I have to come to fetch you both. Come back to the city with me, they are having a special celebration tonight for the Moon Spirit, and we have been invited." Tula's jaw dropped and Puka's eyes widened in shock.

Tula was first to recover. "Does that mean they will accept Fire Lord Zuko's apology?"

"I'm not sure, but it is a step in the right direction." Ami conceded.

"I can't go, someone needs to stay with the ship," Puka shook his head.

"Oh come on Puka!" Tula whined. "Your executive officer can handle the ship for one night."

Ami also begged. "Please, Puka? I have much to tell you both and I don't want you to miss out on this experience."

He looked a little stressed. It was obvious he wanted to come, but his duties as captain came first. "I don't-"

"You are coming with us!" Tula decided for him.

"I'm going to bathe really fast. Pack an overnight bag with your best clothes for tonight. I will ask Chief Arnook have a boat bring you back in the morning." Ami continued. "Quickly, we only have," she looked over at Peto who was standing off the side with six other warriors.

"Fifty minutes," he said for her.

"Right, I will explain everything on the way." Ami reassured them and then realized her blunder. "Oh, I'm sorry, this is Peto. Peto, these are my friends, Tula and Puka."

"It's nice to meet you!" Tula smiled and offered to shake his hand.

"Likewise," Peto said to her and returned the shake. He and Puka merely nodded.

Ami did not waste another second. She went to her quarters and washed away all the nervous sweat from the night before. She was starting to pack her bag when Tula knocked on her door.

"I'm ready," she announced. "You might want to dry your hair before we leave. Or it will freeze out there."

"Has that happened to you already?" Ami smiled.

Tula ignored they question, therefore answering it. "I will help you dry it."

Thirty minutes later, Ami and Tula returned to the upper deck. Puka and Peto were standing on opposite sides of the ship, keeping an eye on each other.

"You women take forever to get ready," Puka complained.

"We have twenty minutes to spare," Ami countered.

"If you're ready," Peto interjected. "Let's go." He let Ami, Tula, and Puka go first down to the boats. "Are you sure your crew understands the agreement?" He asked the captain.

"My crew is in full understanding, Peto." Puka answered curtly. "My executive officer was given clear instructions and will wait anchored here until we return."

"Good."

And they were off. Along the way, Ami explained to her friends everything that happened. She chose not to tell them about Trisc. She would not allow his actions as an individual to risk clouding the judgment of her friends over the whole nation. When she showed them her hands, they were shocked.

"If I did not know for a fact that those weren't there before," Tula stated. "I wouldn't have believed this whole story. It's too wild!"

"I know," Ami agreed. "What's even wilder is that I've met the Moon Spirit before! I thought it was a dream, but she's the one who saved me from drowning in the ocean."

"Not many people have been in contact with the spirits." Puka added, then quietly so only she could hear. "There must a lot more to your past than just a missing family."

It was a little scary to admit, but Ami was beginning to think the same thing. "Everything that I remember, which isn't much, is so hazy."

"We will figure it out," Tula stated confidently.

Peto was sitting in the row behind them. He pretended to not be paying attention to them. Giving away nothing that he actually heard every word.

The rest of the trip was spent talking and discussing what Puka, Tula, and the crew did while Ami was away. They were all in a state of still panic, not wanting to do anything to jeopardize Ami's life.

When they arrived in the city, Tula and Puka mirrored Ami's expressions and thought process when she first saw it. Peto explained things to them like he did for her. She was grateful that they expressed a similar interest she did. That would go a long way to cooperation.

When they arrive back at the palace, Chief Arnook was waiting for them. "Glad to see that our invitation was accepted. Welcome."

"Thank you," Ami bowed to him, and her friends did the same.

"Ambassador Ami, I wish to have a negotiation meeting with you and my advisors. I have sent for them and they should be arriving with the hour."

"Wonderful, I would just like to ask that my Vice Ambassador Tula, would also be invited to join us. We are a team, and in case something ever happens to me, she needs to know what to do."

"Of course," The chief answered, he looked to Tula and Puka. "We have rooms waiting for you." He turned to Peto, "after you have shown them where they are staying, will you please bring them to the council house?"

"Yes," Peto nodded.

"I would like this meeting to be completed relatively quickly. The festivities begin at sundown. I would ask that you not leave the palace in the mean time. Not many people know yet that you are here, or that you are welcomed. For your safety, allow me to make a formal announcement this evening when everyone will be present."

"Of course," Ami accepted and Tula and Puka agreed.

Peto escorted them to their rooms, which was right next to Ami's. She gave her friends time to settle before retrieving Tula. She hoped that Puka would take this opportunity to rest. He had dark circles around his eyes. She decided that now was her chance to look around the room.

The bed, built out of ice, was in the center of the room against the wall left of the door. It had thick animal pelts to keep the occupant completely warm and comfortable. Across from it, a wood wardrobe, and an ice vanity complete with a large mirror above it and a wood stool with and animal pelt. Opening the curtains, it revealed a grand bay window overlooking the city. There were a few rugs on the floor, one was of an animal skin and the others were some kind of fabric.

Despite it being made out of ice, she was remarkable comfortable. She had hung up the barrowed coat and remained in her warm Fire Nation clothing. She thought that if were possible, she would like to purchase or trade for a coat and a few other keepsakes to remember her time here.

She took some time to unpack her small bag of items she would need to prepare herself for the celebrations. She brought some makeup pallets with her to even out her skin tone, giver a little color and contrast to her cheeks, and dramatizes her eyes.

Her clothes that she packed were a special cold weather outfit. It consisted of a floor length black dress, a thick black crisscross robe with a high collar and longs sleeves. The robe was decorated with a large red and gold flame on the back, which swirled up to her shoulders, down the arms, and met with other flames in the front. It was just enough to keep her warm and comfortable. She only had the one pair of boots, and they did nothing to keep her feet warm. They were made of a special hide that repelled water, but she would have to wear thick socks to keep her toes from freezing.

There was no point in trying to get ready now, the celebration was hours away. Not wanting to keep the chief or the advisors waiting any longer, she left her room and found Peto leaning against the wall just down the hall. She nodded and smiled at him as she knocked on Tula's room. Her friend came out, looking someone refreshed.

"Ready?" Ami asked.

"Let's do this," Tula smiled.

As promised, the meeting did go relatively quickly. The Chief and advisors had come to an agreement with Ami and Tula. They decided that they did not want any hand outs from the Fire Nation. They would not accept any of the goods, or aid, only the written apology. No outsider would be welcome in the city any time soon. Instead a trading post would be built on an iceberg away from the city. Limited trade would be allowed if anyone wished to travel this far. Every merchant would be inspected to ensure that nothing dangerous would enter the city. Chief Arnook and his advisors made it clear that if they wished, they could change their minds at any time about anything without consent from the Fire Nation.

Tula made very detailed notes on everything during the meeting. When they were about to close, Tula read out loud everything she wrote, asked Ami and Chief Arnook to look it over. When they okayed the minutes of the meeting, she asked everyone present to sign it, and the Chief to give his royal seal. She promised that she and Ami would make a copy, one for the Northern Water Tribe and one for the Fire Nation. Everyone agreed, and Chief Arnook promised to send someone to retrieve them for the festivities.

Tula and Ami went right to work making the copies. They decided to make a third, just in case. They signed them and then Ami went outside to speak to Peto. She wanted him to take her back to the council house for the signatures.

"Peto?" She called down the hall. No one was there. "Hello?" She was about to go back inside when someone came around the corner.

"Peto is not here, Ambassador Ami." Trisc explained. His mouth set in a hard line as he sized her up. "What do you need?"

She wondered if he would try to make another move on her. She was ready to act if she needed too. She had no desire to cause any issues now that the treaty was signed. All Trisc needed to do was to make negative accusations against her and everything that was settled on would go down the drain. "I have two copies of the treaty that I would like the Chief and his advisors to sign. I was hoping they could do it now."

He shook his head. "The Chief and council of advisors are in a closed meeting. No one is allowed in or out until they are finished."

"Thank you," She was about to close the door behind her.

"Ambassador Ami?" Trisc approached her, but stayed a few feet away. "I want to apologize to you for my previous behavior."

Ami scrutinized him for a moment. "Do you always treat women that way?"

His faced turned red and his jaw set off to one side. "I've never had a woman turn away my attention, let alone fight me. Safe to say it was a humbling experience."

She offered a half smile. "I'm glad to be of service."

"If I may," He stepped a little closer to her, but unthreatening. "I would like to make it up to you. Would you like a tour of the city?"

Her smile grew a little, "maybe tomorrow. Chief Arnook made it clear that he doesn't wish to have us wondering around until he can make a formal announcement to your people."

"Very well," he seemed satisfied with her answer. "I will notify you when the council doors open and you can have them sign the treaty. But don't be surprised if they don't see you until tonight at the celebration. I will be the one to escort you there."

"Thank you." Ami went back into Tula's room and explained why they would have to wait for the documents to be signed. They knocked on Puka's door, who begrudgingly informed them that he _was_ sleeping. He decided to listen to them and get as much rest as possible since they would be up all night that evening. Tula and Ami apologized and decided to follow his lead and went to rest up for a little while before they needed to get ready.


	8. Chapter 7

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

 _Pronunciations_

 _Ami: Ah-mEE_

 _Tula: Too-la_

 _Nolaan: No-lawn_

 _Puka: Poo-kah_

 _Trisc: Like Triscuit but without the cracker. Lol. I know probably one of the stupidest jokes I ever make._

 _Peto: Peh-toe_

 _Burt: Bert_

 _Nani: Nah-Nee_

 _Atta: Att-ah_

* * *

Ami lay in bed the whole late morning to early mid afternoon. She knew that sleep would have been much more beneficial, considering she would probably be awake all night. She was able to sleep a little, but hearing people preparing for the celebration outside made it difficult to fall back asleep.

Looking at the sun, they had a couple hours yet to get ready. Ami decided that she would do some her of stretching exercises and meditation to kill time and help ease the anxiety. When she was finished, she washed up and did her hair and makeup. She tied her long red hair into the traditional bun on the top of her head. She let a few curls cascade down around her ears and forehead. Her makeup was soft, but emphasized her eyes. She dressed in her warm black robes and was ready to go when a knock sounded on her door.

Tula needed help with her makeup. She was used to putting on her stage makeup, not special event. She explained that one of her family's servants always did it for her. That did not help her now, and she had no clue what she was doing. Ami took time explaining what would look best on Tula and showed her how to do it. When they were finished, both young ladies were glowing.

Waiting outside, Puka was leaning against his door and Trisc was down the hallway. Both of them had their arms crossed over their chests, and glared at each other. They were too busy hating each other to notice the door open.

Ami cleared her throat to get their attention. "Shall we?"

Some of the festivities were being held in the main hall of the palace. There were at least one hundred people all dressed in their ceremonial garb. Shades of blue, white, and black waved over the crowd. It looked like the ocean, very fitting of the Water Tribe. Trisc explained that most of the people inside were of nobility or held high positions in the tribe. The rest of the population was outside, below the balcony, celebrating with games, food, drink, dancing, and performances. There would be special entertainment for the people inside. He explained that when Chief Arnook addressed the people, he could be heard from above and below. He was highly respected and loved by his people that they gladly listen carefully to his words.

Ami, Tula, and Puka stood out like sore thumbs. They were all wearing forms or gold, red, and black. Everyone parted ways to let them pass as they were led to their designated seats. Many of the people stared, others whispered comments to each other. All were curious about who they were and why they were there.

Chief Arnook and some of the advisors were already seated on pillows before a long table, decorated with ice sculptures. The rest of the hall had other tables and pillows for everyone else present. Ami, Tula, and Puka sat on the Chief's left, as they were his guests. He stood and walked to the edge of the balcony, motioning for everyone else to take their seats and gaining the attention of the people below him.

"Great people of the Northern Water Tribe, another year has passed since the Moon Spirit saved us from peril and the end of the One Hundred Year War. When our enemy attacked, they caused a lunar eclipse to take place. Our bending was blocked and the thought of victory was abandoned. With the help from Avatar Aang and Masters Katara and Soka, the Moon and Ocean Spirits were revived and gave us hope and strength to survive and defeat the intruders.

Much time has passed since then. The Fire Nation has a new Lord, Zuko. He has sent Ambassador Ami in his name, apologizing for the actions of his ancestors. She assures us that the Fire Nation will never again trouble our waters. In light of a treaty, we will build a trading post. It will be open to anyone who wishes to trade with travelers from the Fire Nation.

I know what you must be feeling: anger, hesitation, curiosity, and many other things. In efforts to ease your fears, I assure you that Ambassador Ami can be trusted." Chief Arnook motioned for Ami to stand up. "Upon hearing of a Fire Nation ship in our waters, we waited until night when the moon spirit would be our strongest ally to investigate. We safely returned with the Ambassador and entered into an emergency council session. From there, we learned that the Fire Lord sent her to present us with goods as a peace offering and apology. The entire council and I were hesitant to believe her. So we brought her to the Spirit Oasis, where she could be judged by the Moon and Ocean Spirits." He nodded to her, and Ami lifted her palms for the close audience to see. Most of them were shocked, some even gasped. "They judge her to be honest, kind, and trustworthy. She has been blessed by them, and given their markings to prove to us and the world. She will always be welcomed here."

He motioned for her to take the floor and he stepped back. She walked forward to address the whole population. Looking around, there had to be at least ten thousand people. She had given speeches in her classrooms and to her entire student body at the university. Her training made her comfortable and confident that she could publicly speak. After seeing all of the people, she froze. This was completely different. This was the real world, with real people, and they were expecting her to follow through in her duties.

Silently, she took in a deep breath and prayed to the Moon and Ocean spirits, once again asking to help her with the words. "On behalf of Fire Lord Zuko, I bring you greetings. Thank you for allowing me and my Vice Ambassador Tula, and my ship's Captain Puka into your wonderful and mighty city. I am here solely for the purpose of bringing a much needed apology and a promise of ongoing peace between our nations. Our hope is to have prosperity for all the nations and we look forward to working alongside the Northern Water Tribe for a bright future. Thank you again for your generous hopsitality, and may the spirits guide and bless you." She bowed in the traditional Fire Nation way. She wanted them to know how much she respected them and hoped that they understood it in her speech and gestures.

It was dead silent. The only thing Ami could hear was the pounding of her heart. Her ears and cheeks were turning as red as her hair. It felt like she was looking at the ground for hours but it was really only a couple seconds. When she stood, she felt light headed. She breathed in her nose and slowly out of her mouth, not wanting to pass out. As soon as her lungs were empty with her first breath, the crowd cheered, clapped, whistled, and hollered.

Looking over her shoulder at her friends, they appeared to be as relived as she felt. The chief was smiling, and the advisors were clapping.

After a couple more minutes of cheering, Chief Arnook raised his hands to quiet them. "Let the celebration commence!"

The crowd started to spread out over the city, enjoying their food and drink, watching performers, listening and dancing to music. This would continue on for hours until long into the night and the moon was high in the sky. Various noblemen and women came to speak to Ami, Tula, and Puka. They wanted: to see Ami's blessings on her hands, to know more about their mission, where they were going next, when they would return to the Fire Nation, and when they would return to the Northern Water Tribe.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the advisors watching her closely. She made eye contact with him a couple times. She made sure to smile at him, and each time he studied her immediately his expression would close up making it nearly impossible to judge what he was thinking. To her, it was rather odd behavior so she decided it would be best to ignore him. He was an old man, almost all of the advisors were. He had long grey hair, with some black still speckled in it. He had a dark mustache, with a soul patch, and some long facial hair growing from his chin. Like everyone else, he was dressed in finely decorated blue robes lined with fur.

The feast was amazing! There were many different kinds of food. From sweet, salty, savory, bitter, you name it and it was there. Not that the three Fire Nation citizens had ever had any food outside of their own culture. At first it was a little scary, trying strange foreign foods. But Ami reminded her friends that they were the foreigners, and needed to take this opportunity and run with it. After a few more minutes, all the food was delivered to the tables.

People started to gather in one big crowd once more. Some of the warriors came together and formed in the shape of a water drop on the balcony. Other warriors formed lines in boats in the canals. Everyone watched in amazement as they called the water to them from various sources in the hall.

The sound of soft drums filled the air. They grew louder and louder. The warriors controlled a small amount of water, and as the music grew, so did the water. Their movements were slow at first, steady, and focused. And just as the drumming and the water grew, they moved faster and faster. They went through poses without pause, always in constant motion, just like water is always in constant motion.

The drumming was so loud that the crowd could feel the tempo in their chests. The warriors on the balcony had bended their water together and formed a circle rotating overhead. The warriors in the boats did the same thing. Every heart beat was in sync with the sound of the drum.

One.

Two.

Three. The warriors froze the water.

Four. At the same time, they finished their wondrous display of water bending and poofed the water into snowflakes gently falling over the crowd.

Everyone cheered and clapped with pride. Ami's jaw fell as she clapped her hands in amazement. She felt so blessed that she was able to witness this celebration. She whispered thanks to the Moon and Ocean Spirits for allowing her to stay. She hoped that one day she would do them justice and her bending would be just as fantastic.

Tula's expression mirrored hers, and Puka's eyes were nearly popping out of his skull. Everyone around them nodded their approval at their guests' reactions. If they had hoped to knock their socks off, safe to say, mission accomplished.

Once the warriors cleared the area, a middle aged man came forward and stood in front of Chief Arnook. He had a long dark beard, and short dark hair. His eyes were the clearest blue. He was dressed in fine Water Tribe garb. He was introduced as Yak, the Ice Master.

"Chief Arnook, honorable council, Ambassador Ami, and guests," the old man began. "I would like to present you and the rest of our people with an ice sculpture I made of the Moon Spirit. Her beauty and strength could never be measured by human standards, nor could the sacrifice and the gift she gave ever be fully understood. This humble offering is to remind us daily of our great spirit, and so that she may know we are truly grateful."

The man motioned for the fifteen foot sculpture to be brought to the center of the balcony. It was covered with a large tarp and being pulled on a cart by six strong men. Once it was in the perfect position for everyone inside and outside to see, Yak unveiled his creation.

It was exquisite. It looked exactly like the angelic Moon Spirit from the Spirit Oasis and from Ami's dreams and memories. She was standing in a pond, and water was surrounding her, like she was bending it up towards her. Her long hair was neatly detailed, as well as her clothing. She was smiling, like she was looking down on her people and happy because they were happy. The symbol of the moon was etched in the pond at her feet.

Chief Arnook was the first to stand and approach the sculpture. "It's perfect, Yak. Thank you."

"It was an honor, sir." Yak bowed to him and returned to his seat.

After a couple moments of solitude, other advisors and nobility joined him in admiration.

Ami did not want to intrude on the moment. Tula and Puka seemed to be thinking the same thing. The all enjoyed what was left of the food while others took their turn at the sculpture. Once the area was clear, Ami and her friends went to admire the craftsmanship.

"It's beautiful." Ami stated.

"Stunning." Puka added.

"Yes it is." Chief Arnook's agreed. No one heard him approach.

"This sculpture is inspired by your daughter, Princess Yue? I overheard one of the council members say that it looks exactly like her." Tula asked. He only nodded. "Is you daughter here? I would love to meet her."

The Chief stared down at the young woman, studying her, then he look at Ami and Puka. "Come with me." He led them out to the balcony of the hall. The moon was full and bright. It was so big and close, like they could reach out their hands and touch it. "There she is."

Ami, Tula, Puka all looked down below the balcony for the princess. There were so many people below; it was difficult to make anyone out. "Which one is her?"

"She's not below us. She is above us." Chief Arnook stated with tears in his eyes. He pointed to the moon. "My daughter, Princess Yue, is the Moon Spirit. When the Fire Nation attacked nineteen years ago, one of them killed the Moon Spirit. It caused a lunar eclipse and through the whole world out of balance. My daughter, was also blessed by the Spirits as a baby, it gave her life. Yue sacrificed herself to restore that balance. She is the Moon Spirit."

Ami knew what it was like to experience loss. There was nothing anyone could say that can make it better. Just knowing that you are not alone in your suffering helps you heal.

The chief was looking out to sky at the moon with great sadness. "Every night I see her, keeping balance in the world. I am so proud of her. But I miss her."

The group was staring at the Moon with heavy hearts. Now they understood why the celebrated with such energy. They never wanted anyone to forget.

Ami wanted to share her story with the chief, but she wanted to be careful with her next statement. It felt like Yue wanted her to tell the chief and pass along a message. "Chief Arnook, I want to tell you something. This morning at the Oasis, was not the first time I met the Moon Spirit."

"What?" Chief Arnook was taken aback by her statement. He must have been lost in thought and did not understand what she was saying. Or it was more of surprise that someone from the Fire Nation would have contact with the Water Tribe's sacred spirit.

"Like I explained before, when I was twelve, I washed up on the shores of the Fire Nation. I don't know much of my past, if any. I do remember being in the ocean during a storm and a beautiful girl with long white hair was in the water with me. She told me she would protect me. When I saw the Moon Spirit in the Oasis, I recognized her immediately as the spirit who saved my life."

"So it would seem that my daughter did as she promised." Chief Arnook had a small smile. "She always kept her word."

"If she could talk to us right now, I know she would say that she loves you very much. That she is always with you and your people." Ami promised. "If I knew who my real father was, and I was in your daughter's position, that's what I would want to tell him."

"Thank you, Ami" Chief Arnook said. He looked like he was about to say something more when advisor who was watching her arrived on the balcony. Chief Arnook motioned for him to wait. "Do you have any clues to your heritage? With you being Earth Nation, I don't know that there is much we can accomplish for you. But I am willing to help."

"Thank you very much. I do have a couple clues. " Ami nodded. "I know that I have Water Tribe in my blood, because I'm also a waterbender."

"You are?" Chief Arnook was surprised a second time. Tula and Puka nodded vigorously.

"Well, a poorly trained one." Ami admitted. "Not very many waterbenders lived in the Fire Nation. And my family kept it a secret. Unfortunately there is still some prejudice feelings there."

"What is your name?" The advisor demanded. He ignored his chief and stepped toward them. He looked desperate for her answer. His eyes were wide and his brows drew together.

"Ami." She answered.

He looked a little exasperated with her reply. "Where are you from? Besides the Fire Nation?"

"I don't know where I was born." Ami explained.

The advisor stared at her for a long moment. "Does the name 'Hahn of the Northern Water Tribe' mean anything to you?"

Ami tried to think, searching her brain for any recognition. "No, I'm sorry. Is he also an advisor?"

"No. He is a warrior from here. What about 'Cicely of Kyoshi Island'?"

Chief Arnook looked between the young woman and the old man. He was starting to have the same questions. "How old are you?"

Ami was getting confused with all of their questions. She was supposed to be the one asking the questions, not them. "Honestly I'm not one hundred percent sure. I thought I was twelve when I washed up on the beach. That was six years ago and I guess I'm eighteen now."

"And you said you are a waterbender?" The advisor asked.

Ami nodded. "Yes. If I may, you both are asking me a lot of questions. And I don't think I have anymore answers for you. I don't remember anything of my past before the storm." Both men sighed with what looked like disappointment. "I will admit that I also accepted this position to see if I can find out what happened to my birth family. I don't have much for clues. My clothes were ruined and over time bugs got to them in the storage chest. My mom salvaged a part of them. She made a necklace out of what I think is a tooth. It was sewn on the front of my tunic. Someone carved pictures on it. I can make out what some of the pictures are, but I don't know what they mean. One looks like a fan."

Both men looked at her than back at each other. The advisor stepped closer and asked, "May I see it?"

Ami looked at him curiously before lifting the tooth necklace from under her dress. She was a little worried about giving it to him. _What if they thought she stole it?_ With it being the only specific detail of her past, she wanted to keep it close to her. Carefully, she removed it from her neck and handed it to the old man.

He studied the tooth. He ran his fingers along the carvings, admiring the craftsmanship. There were beautiful details along the perimeter that were all Water Tribe, but there was a Kyoshi Warrior Fan in the middle. He lifted his gaze to the young woman again and tears of joy started to flow from his eyes. "This is a tooth from a Saber Bowhead whale. It is an honor to have a tooth from the sacred animal. They are gentle giants, unless you hunt their young. A tooth is given to every water tribe baby during the birth blessing. My dear, after many sad years of grief, I believe our prayers have been answered. You are my long lost granddaughter."

Ami stared at him for a long minute. Stunned by his announcement, she could hardly move, hardly breath. "How do you know?"

"My son, Hahn was traveling back up here to the North from the Southern Water Tribe with his family. His wife was from Kyoshi Island. When they arrived, they reported that they were caught in a terrible storm. Before they could reach the safety of land their daughter was washed overboard by a massive wave. They never found her."

"What was her name?" Ami asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Amisis," The advisor answered.

Hearing the sound of her full name was like a light turned on in her mind. She had a past, a family that that loved her. Her memories of her mother, father, and her brother were happy ones. They cared about her. She was lost in a storm, nothing that anyone could help. Nor could she help the tears that started falling from her eyes. She was so happy she could not stop her voice from starting out as a whisper and getting louder and louder. "Amisis. That's my name. I was born in the Southern Water Tribe. I have parents and a brother! You're my grandfather, Motsu!"

She could not help herself as she hug the advisor tightly. He was just as stunned and happy as Ami. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Welcome back, Amisis. It's nice to finial meet you."

Ami laughed and cried. "It's nice to meet you too."

Chief Arnook left the balcony to give them some privacy and to fetch the advisor's wife. Tula and Puka watched in awe, and stepped back to give them a moment. They looked at each other, not sure where to go.

"Eh-em." Chief Arnook cleared his throat. He escorted an old woman out to them, followed by a middle aged man and woman, woman about Ami's age, and Peto. "Ami, I would like to introduce you to the rest of your family: your grandmother, Rena, your Uncle Burt and Aunt Nani, and your cousins Atta and Peto."

The old woman started sobbing as she hugged Ami. She started speaking in ancient Water Tribe. The girl smiled, and Peto nodded. He seemed not at all surprised in the news. The rest of the group circled around them and said a prayer of thanksgiving.


	9. Chapter 8

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

 _Pronunciations_

 _Ami: Ah-mEE_

 _Tula: Too-la_

 _Nolaan: No-lawn_

 _Puka: Poo-kah_

 _Trisc: Like Triscuit but without the cracker. Lol. I know probably one of the stupidest jokes I ever make._

 _Peto: Peh-toe_

 _Burt: Bert_

 _Nani: Nah-Nee_

 _Atta: Att-ah_

* * *

Ami, Tula, and Puka retired to their rooms the next morning. The celebration had finally ended for the night and the rest of the city was also going to sleep the day away. After all of the formalities of the festival, Mostus and Rena invited them back to their home. They had much to discuss and wanted a little more privacy. Some people over heard the wonderful news and the gossip was quickly spreading. They lived just outside the city in a beautiful and large igloo. It boasted a large family room, with many rooms branching out from it.

Lying down on her bed, Ami stared up at the ceiling. Her mind was going a million miles an hour over all she learned about herself and her family. _They are out there somewhere._ She could hardly believe it. There was so much to take in and process. Not only was she remembering her past, but she was meeting and visiting with the family she was supposed to meet six years ago.

She remembered her parents, Hahn and Cicely, and her brother, Ty. Her grandmother, Rena told her and her friends the story of how they met. Ami was able to remember most of it from when her parents told her, and that made her so jubilant. Rena and Motsu filled in the blank spots.

Her father, Hahn, was Motsu and Rena's first born son. He was an ambitious, well trained soldier, skillful in weaponry and girls, her uncle added; and focused on doing everything he could to help defeat the Fire Nation in the Hundred Year War. He agreed to the arranged marriage to Princess Yue to elevate his status in the tribe.

When the Fire Nation fleet was going to attack, he was assigned to lead a special classified mission. A group of warriors and waterbenders were to disguise as Fire Nation soldiers and were to infiltrate one of the ships and assassinate the leader. His self-centered, shallow, and conceited attitude led to his failure to complete the mission and it disgraced him.

After the attack from the Fire Nation, he and Motsu had a big fight. He already hated himself for his choices and his father's anger made it worse. He decided to leave and start over in the Southern Water Tribe. His guilt of the way he treated Yue, his failure to protect her, and complete the mission made him keep himself distant from others. He felt that he was enforcing justice upon himself by secluding himself from everyone around him.

There were many people, benders and nonbenders alike, who traveled to the Southern Water Tribe to help rebuild. Master Pakku was a friend of Motsu's, and offered to take Hahn under his wing and keep watch over him. As they sailed, the small fleet stopped at various Earth Nation villages. One stop was Kyoshi Island. They were not there very long, but long enough for him to meet Cicely. He instantly fell in love with her, but he kept his distance. He felt he did not deserve to have her in his life.

But Cicely was persistent and enduring. She went out of her way to talk to him; breaking down his barrier one rock at a time. She, being an earthbender, literally threw rocks at him once.

One night she followed him to the beach, where she heard him pray to the Moon Spirit. He wept, begging for forgiveness. Cicely could not stand to see him hurting, so she comforted him. He told her everything. He kept everything bottled up for weeks and he finally exploded. He was prepared for her to reject him, hate him even, after his confession. However, she surprised him further.

She kissed him. Reassuring him that he was not a bad person, and that he must learn from the mistakes he made. It was time for him to let go of the past. He could not just quit and stop living. She promised, if he would let her, to be with him for the rest of her life and beyond. They were married before the fleet continued on their journey.

Cicely had one sister, Suki, and at the time was with some of the Kyoshi Warriors in Ba Sing Se. She had also fallen in love with a Water Tribe boy, and was inspired by him to do what she could to help in the war. Cicely left her a message with the village chief where Suki could find her. She was eager for her own adventure and wanted to see the world with her new husband.

When the fleet arrived in the Southern Water Tribe, Cicely discovers she is pregnant. A few months later their first child is born; a baby girl and they named her Amisis. As she grew, everyone called her Ami and she learned she was a waterbender. Thirteen months after she was born, Cicely gives birth to a boy and name him Ty. He is an earthbender.

The children were raised in the Southern Water Tribe. Cicely and Hahn, along with others who traveled from the north and earth villages helped rebuild the village and it was quickly growing. After the war, the Southern warriors returned, children were being born and growing, and life was peaceful and happy. Eventually Avatar Aang, Waterbending Master Katara, Sword Master Sokka, his wife and Cicely's sister Suki, and Earthbending Master Toph all came to stay and help. Even Fire Lord Zuka visited briefly.

The tension was thick between Sokka and Hahn. Sokka was still angry at Hahn for his behavior in the north and how he treated Yue. One night, when the whole village was enjoying a bonfire and Sokka and Hahn got into a fight. They both landed a couple punches on each other before their warrior wives took them down. Hahn went off alone and did not return all night. Everyone was worried and went out searching for him, even Sokka.

During the night, Hahn had built a memorial in honor of Yue. It was a large sphere with the emblem of the moon carved into it. When Sokka found him the next morning, Hahn was sitting at the base of it staring into nothing. Sokka sat with him for a long time in silence. After a while, Sokka spoke, apologizing for the fight. Cicely had spoken to him and explained what happened after he left the Northern Water Tribe with the Avatar. Hahn expressed how sorry he was for everything he did to Sokka, and what happened with Yue. He said that he thought about her every day, and wished that he could change the past. He promises that he is a changed person and won't make the same mistakes. Sokka had no choice but to forgive him, and they returned to the village together.

After many discussions, persuasions, and ten years later Cicely was able to talk Hahn into traveling back to their homes. He was all for returning to Kyoshi Island, but extremely apprehensive about the Northern Water Tribe. Ami was twelve years old, and Ty was eleven when they began their journey at the very beginning of spring. They did not travel alone. Some other Water Tribe citizens travel home as well. At the same time, Sokka, Suki, Toph, Avatar Aang, and Katara also left and headed to the newly proclaimed Republic City.

They spent one wonderful month in Kyoshi. The children meet their family friends, and made new ones as well. They were able to celebrate the Spring Life festival with the islanders before continuing on their journey.

A storm developed quickly a week into their sailing. They were quite a ways away from shore and Amisis was washed overboard. No one knew what happened to her. They searched up and down the closets coast line and stopping any boat or ship, asking and looking for any sign of their daughter. They were even chased out of some of the more isolated Fire Nation villages who were still getting used to the war being over. After weeks of searching, Hahn and Cicely decide to continue going North, concluding that Amisis perished in the storm. They always prayed and hoped that they were wrong; that their daughter was still out there somewhere.

When they arrived in the Northern Water Tribe, they held a send off for Amisis, and a mourning ceremony for the family. Hahn felt like he was still being punished for his past. It was only after a long talk with Chief Arnook on the balcony of the main hall in the palace, with the Moon high and bright, was Hahn able to move forward. Mostu also made it clear that Hahn could not control the weather and accidents happen. There was nothing more he could have done for his daughter and he needed to stop punishing himself for the past. He still had a wife and son who also suffered a great loss, and they needed him to be there and be strong. When the time came, Hahn, Cicely, Ty, and many others, left the north and traveled south once more.

Hahn had a younger brother, Burt. He is also a waterbeneder. He's married to Nani, and they had two children, Peto and Atta, both are benders. Hahn and Burt got along very well, despite their five year difference. Their children were also very close with each other.

"You look just like your mother. You have her beautiful red hair. But your eyes are so unique; both Earth and Water Nation." Rena cupped her granddaughter's cheek. "Your brother has one eye completely blue, and the other is completely green."

"I remember." Ami smiled, blurting out a question she had been dying to ask. "Have you seen them recently?"

Mostu answered. "They were just here and left with the spring thaw. They were traveling south back to Kyoshi Island before returning to the South Pole."

"I just missed them," Ami was sad by the news. If she would have known about being an ambassador sooner, she could have been here when her family was, or possibly intercepted them as they went north and her family went south. Everyone was feeling her disappointment and the room was quiet.

Atta was the first to break the silence. "Where in the Fire Nation did you end up? Tell us what happened to you. In detail, please."

"I suppose I should start from the beginning?" Ami asked and the group nodded. "When I was washed overboard, I thought I was going to die in the ocean. I didn't know which way was up. But the Moon Spirit Yue came to me and helped me to shore. At the time, I didn't know where I was and I don't remember how got there. I was wondering around the beach when my mom and dad found me. My dad is Sword Master Piandao, and my mom's name is Mila. She is one of the last decedents of the Sun Warriors. They were vacationing on Ember Island and took me to the local police and filed a report. We stayed on the island for a while, just waiting. With autumn just around the corner they took me back to their home on the mainland. The police said that if they ever heard anything, they would contact us.

Since no one claimed me, they enrolled me in school. Dad trained me to be a Sword Master, and mom taught me meditative stretching and exercise. Tula and I have been friends, along with my other friend Nolaan, since the first day of school. Tula and I are students at the University for political science, but my major is more communications. We met Puka through Nolaan, who is also a captain of a ship touring the world with another ambassador.

I was chosen by Fire Lord Zuko because of my education, by heritage, and because of the connection between my dad and the Fire Lord's uncle; they're friends. I accepted because I wanted to help change the world, but also to find out what happened to my family. Now, here we are."

Everyone was smiling, with a hint of sadness over the loss of time.

"Are you married or engaged?" Motsu asked out of the blue.

Ami was surprised by the question and blushed. Tula looked a little embarrassed for her as well. "Um neither, I just had my eighteenth birthday party. Which is the legal age in the Fire Nation of being an adult, joining the military, marrying, and lots of other things."

"Has your father, Sword Master Piandao, chosen your husband yet?"

"Not that I know of," Ami shook her head. "My dad would never make a decision like that without discussing it with my mom, and asking me first."

Mostu sat back in his chair and made a grunting sound. "I guess that's just a few of many differences between the two nations. Here, girls are marrying age at sixteen and boys at seventeen. Hahn would have had your husband and engagement decided long before then."

"I don't recall having a betrothed when I was in the south." Ami did not appreciate that tradition. She kept her agitation to herself, but she saw the appalled look on Tula's face before she concealed it. So she decided to be diplomatic and tried to appeal to his compassion. "AndI just met all of you. If I did have a husband, I might not get the time to spend getting to know all of you."

"That's right, Amisis." Rena chimed in, glancing at her husband out of the corner of her eye. "We only just got our granddaughter back. I don't want to give her up already. Besides, we have Atta's wedding coming up. It would be quite difficult to manage two of them at the same time. Don't you think?" Motsu only nodded.

Everyone turned and looked at Atta. She blushed and smiled softly as she served anther pot of hot tea. Ami could see something different in her eyes. She would know that look a mile away. Atta did not want this marriage. Ami knew the feeling.

"Well none the less, you are a member of our tribe. There is a lot that you need to learn about our ways. We can discuss a husband after your father returns." Motsu stated.

 _Like hell we will!_ Ami thought to herself. _And I'm not waiting around here for my family to come back. I'm going to find them myself._

Looking out of the window, the sun was starting to rise. Everyone was exhausted from celebrating the festival and their new arrival. Motsu decided it was time for everyone to get some sleep. In all reality, he was getting tried, cranky, and slowly becoming difficult to get along with.

"Will you come back and have dinner with us, Amisis?" Rena asked.

Ami was having a hard time getting used to her full name. She remembered her parents only calling her that when she was in trouble. No one here would know that and she did not want to say anything that could hurt their feelings. One time when she was maybe nine years old, her brother was getting on her nerves so much that she froze the water he was drinking from, as well as freezing his lips together. Her parents yelled at her for a really long time and her punishment was tough, but worth it. She smiled at the memory. "I would be honored. Thank you."

"I can take you all back to the palace." Peto offered.

"Thank you." Tula answered first. She was ecstatic for her friend. Just for the last hour, she had been struggling to keep her eyes open.

Atta stood and said, "I will come with you."

They had to walk back to the palace. The group was all tired so there was not much talking going on. Puka was too tired to be guarded against Peto anymore, and were walking side by side. Tula was directly behind them, and Ami and Atta were together. She was happy that her cousin wanted to spend time with her and Ami felt bad that she was not as chatty as she was before. She was barely walking in a straight line. It did not take long to walk back; it would have been quicker to take a boat. But Peto and Atta were the only other waterbenders, and they were exhausted. Plus the rivers and canal were completely full of boats leaving the city.

Once they were a little ways away from her grandparent's home, Atta opened up. "Look Ami, I know we just met and I have no right to tell you what to do. But I want you to know what you are getting yourself into by come back. Grandpa still lives in the old, traditional Northern Water Tribe ways. If you don't get out of here soon and find Uncle Hahn and Aunt Cicely, grandpa will have you married before your next birthday. It doesn't matter to him that you are a Fire Nation Ambassador, or that you are clearly perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. He thinks that all women are incapable of surviving without a man."

The first thing Ami noticed was that Atta called her by her short name. That thrilled her, but she wondered where she picked up on that. However, that bit of news did not sit well. _What is up with the male population of the world, huh?_ "Thank you for your concern, Atta. You don't know me at all, and I appreciate you are trying to look out for me."

Atta was glaring daggers into her brother's back. "I would not want my fate to be forced upon another who had no idea it was coming."

Ami carefully inquired about what that meant. "Do you not want to be married?"

"I do, one day." Atta sighed. "I just wish that I could have decided who I would be spending the rest of my life with and when it would happen."

"Do you not like your future husband?"

"I like him well enough. We're friends and we've known each other our whole lives." Atta admitted. "It's just the fact that no one asked me what I wanted."

"Well, what do you want?" Ami asked.

Atta was quiet for a moment. "I'm not quite ready to share."

Ami understood that. "None the less, thank you for heads up."

"No problem. And at the risk of being a bossy cousin, I would encourage you to leave the Fire Nation clothes in your room when you come to dinner. It makes the grandparents and my parents a little on edge."

"I noticed that, but unfortunately I don't have any other clothes."

"We can fix that. I can take you shopping tomorrow to get you some clothes to tide you over, and you can also barrow some of mine. You already know that there is still a lot of hostility between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world. It will take time for people to forgive and move forward."

"So I should change my clothes to make them feel better?" Ami sounded doubtful about that idea. "I don't think that would help to bridge that gap between the nations."

"I know. But you haven't been around the Water Tribe in years. And you are of our tribe. It's not like you are giving up on your citizenship. You are just being a part of your native culture. You should embrace it a little."

Ami agreed, not that she was opposed to shopping anyway. She did have more questions to ask about her family. She did not want to ask her grandfather, for fear of upsetting him. She was going to ask Peto since she knew him better, but Atta would more than likely have the answer as well. "Did my dad and grandpa ever make up?"

"Oh yeah! My dad said that grandpa didn't really think Uncle Hahn would actually leave initially. When he did, grandpa was really upset, but grandma convinced him to let go of his anger. Dad said that Uncle Hahn needed to figure out his life and would be a great help to the Southern Water Tribe."

Ami listened to her cousin. She was feeling less anxious about her family. Her grandparents were warm and welcoming to her. But she felt like there was some sort of barrier between them. "How did grandma and grandpa react to my mom?"

"They love her! She and Uncle Hahn love each other, stand at each other's side, and make each other happy. Peto and Ty get along great, too. They would spar all the time." Atta reassured her. She could tell Ami was perplexed about something and was pretty sure what it was. "I think they are really awkward around you because you are dressed in Fire Nation. But we already have that problem solved."

"Can I ask you something else, then?" Ami blurted out. "How come you call me, Ami? Everyone else in the family calls me, Amisis."

Atta smiled, "that's what Uncle Hahn, Aunt Cicely, and Ty all call you."

They had arrived at the palace and were at their rooms in no time. Puka and Tula thanked Peto and Atta for escorting them back to their rooms. Puka had mentioned to them that he would like to return to the ship in a few hours. He wanted to check on everyone and make sure everything was going okay in his absence. Peto said he would tell Chief Arnook and see about getting a boat for him. Atta said she would be back later after they all napped to take her and Tula shopping.

Ami was not sure how much longer they could afford to stay, since they had completed their task in the Northern Water Tribe. She desperately wanted to stay as long as possible to get to know her family, and find a waterbending teacher who would be willing to travel with them. However, the fear that her grandfather would try to marry her off was looming over her head. Just thinking about it was making her angry. She decided that she did her job as a Royal Peace Ambassador, and was able to convince the Chief and his advisors on building a trade post. She never expected to be this successful so soon in her career or personal endevers. Now all that was left to do was get the Chief and advisors to sign the extra copy of the treaty, have dinner with her family, find a teacher, and continue on with her mission by tomorrow night. They had six more stops to make and get back to the Fire Nation with a report before the winter. They had a lot of ground to cover and they could not stay in one spot too long. Hopefully, she would cross paths with her parents and brother along the way.


	10. Chapter 9

_Ami is raised in the Fire Nation & is an Ambassador for Fire Lord Zuko. She's on a mission w/ 3 purposes: help bring a sincere apology to the world. Find her missing family w/ her waterbending as her only clue. Uncover the deadly plot that threatens Zuko & his family to restore Ozai to the throne. This story takes place eighteen years after Zuko is named Fire Lord. The reason I decided to write this fanfiction was to fill in the gaps between A:TLA and A:LOK. It contains mostly OCs, but the major characters from the show are in it. The small characters, such as: Hahn, Yue, Master Piandao, and Jet have a much bigger impact in this story. I wanted to shed some light on what I think happened to some of them._

 _It is my first one that I've ever written out. It starts off a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. Please Read and Review. I would really appreciate any thoughts on this fanfiction. I wanted to test out my writing style and I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and enjoy!_

 **I am a huge fan of the shows. However, I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra, only the OC's I came up with.**

 _Pronunciations_

 _Ami: Ah-mEE_

 _Tula: Too-la_

 _Nolaan: No-lawn_

 _Puka: Poo-kah_

 _Trisc: Like Triscuit but without the cracker. Lol. I know probably one of the stupidest jokes I ever make._

 _Peto: Peh-toe_

 _Burt: Bert_

 _Nani: Nah-Nee_

 _Atta: Att-ah_

 _Sué: S-way_

 _Bamin: Bam-in_

 _Ahpt: Aahh-p-t_

 _Omber: Oh-m-ber._

* * *

"And I thought the Fire Nation had a lot of layers for clothing." Tula admitted.

Atta had come mid afternoon to take Ami and Tula shopping. Peto had taken Puka back to the ship a few hours ago and left the ladies to their own devices. He knew they would be safe from harm since they were welcome in the city, and that Ami was the granddaughter of one of the advisors. She admitted to her cousin that they could not stay in the Northern Water Tribe much longer because they had other ports they needed to go to.

Currently, they were in the city market going from shop to shop trying on different styles of indoor and outdoor clothing. It seemed pointless to purchase many different outfits since she would be leaving and had limited storage in her quarters on the ship. Tula was struggling with picking only a few things. She was a shopper and could not say no. Ami had to be her voice of reason when they were getting ready to finish up.

"You're not storing your stuff in my room." Ami stated. In all reality she would have done it if her friend asked. But she knew that she would go on a crazy shopping spree at every stop. Ami was only encouraging her to pace herself. "Remember, you can come back here with me in the future."

"I know," Tula sighed. "They just have so many cute options. It's hard to choose."

"Keep in mind that you won't want to wear too many of these when you get home, it will be too hot." Ami reminded her. "If you are going to get anything, you should get a warm coat, hat, scarf, and gloves for while we are still in cold weather. And get jewelry to wear instead. It's more practical and you will have more chances to wear them."

"You sound like my mom."

"That's not much of an insult, you're mom is pretty awesome."

"Too you," Tula snorted and pouted. "Alright, a coat, hat, scarf, gloves, and jewelry."

Ami followed her own advice. Atta had taken them to a few different merchants in the market and were able to get everything they needed. She found a dark blue puffy coat that snug to her waist and flared out and stopped at her hips. It had an attached shawl gathering in the front and around her shoulders to keep her neck warm and could convert into a hood if the weather turned nasty. It was simply decorated with silver buttons, white beads, and light blue dyed fur along the edges. She found a set of simple black gloves, hat, and a scarf for when it was too warm for her coat, but when there was still a chill in the air. Tula found a coat and other warm weather gear of similar fashion.

Then the fun part, discovering an old married couple selling exactly what they were looking for. Ami found a head band decorated with polished gray stones that sparkled in the light. Tula found a beautiful cuff bracelet, it was made of some kind of white stone, and it had detailed carvings all over it. With their success they were just about to back to their rooms. They picked up something to eat to tide them over to dinner, when they were stopped.

"Ambassador Ami!" a male voice called out.

The ladies looked up from the food options in front of them to see Trisc coming toward them. Ami sighed and forced a smile. Both Tula and Atta looked between her and him, coming up with different silent questions.

He was grinning at the group of ladies around him. "I went by your room and you didn't answer. I guess you didn't waste any time seeing the city."

Ami gently shrugged her shoulders. "My cousin, Atta, offered to bring us to the market today."

"Of course! You're Motsu's long lost granddaughter. How does it feel to have her back?" He turned to Atta and asked.

"Like the void has been filled," Atta answered.

Everyone stood there awkwardly after that. No one knew what to say. Everyone had something they wanted to ask each other; but wanted to do it in private. Atta and Tula wanted to know what was going on between Ami and Trisc. Trisc wanted to ask Ami on a date. Ami wanted to hightail it away from him.

Having enough of the awkwardness, Ami broke the silence. "Well, we have some more shopping to do before this evening."

"What are you doing this evening?" Trisc asked.

"Hello, Atta!" All eyes went to another young man, followed by three other gentlemen.

Atta grinned at him. "Hello Sué. Ami, Tula, this is my betrothed, Sué and his friends Bamin, Ahpt, and Omber. Guys, this is my cousin, Ami and her friend, Tula."

"Welcome to the Northern Water Tribe," Sué offered his hand to shake. "How are you dealing with the cold?"

"Oh, were dealing," Tula stressed.

"Just think if you were here during winter." Sué was able to effortlessly stimulate the conversation. He looked to Atta for support as he gently grasped her hand in his.

"Yeah, you both would probably be dead from frostbite if you had showed up with the clothes you had on." Atta joked.

On the outside, both Atta and Sué seemed fond of each other. Their smiles were genuine, and they were kind to each other. Ami assumed it could all be forced or fake. But that seemed unlikely. Deep down, maybe Atta wanted to be married to Sué and she was just afraid of the future. Or that she will miss out on life experiences if she gets married.

"How long do you plan to stay?" Sué asked continue forward.

Tula and Ami looked at each other, deciding on who would answer. Tula took charge, "That depends on Ami. Since she found her family, it's hard to pull her away from that."

"I can imagine." Sué sympathized.

"If you ladies aren't doing anything later, maybe we can go do dinner or check out the new swimming hole." Bamin invited and gave both Ami and Tula a once over.

They both noticed that he was not the only one observing. Ahpt and Omber were not trying to hide their staring. Trisc cleared his throat, making his presents known and that seemed to instill a little fear and embarrassment. He was intimidating and he knew it. He was about to say something when Ami cut him off.

"Thank you very much for the offer, but Tula and I will be having dinner and spending the remainder with my family. We have a lot to catch up on." Ami smiled at the men staring at them. Tula and Atta nodded in agreement. "And we have a little more to shop for before we head back there."

"Do you need help?" Trisc asked.

"No I think we have it under control." Ami reassured. "Thank you, though."

"It was lovely to meet you all." Tula charmed the young men with her smile.

Sué turned to Atta to speak. "Your dad invited me to join you all for dinner."

Atta nodded, "I guess I will see you tonight, then?"  
"I wanted to know if you were okay with that. I wasn't sure if you wanted to spend some alone time with Ami."

"I don't see an issue with you coming over. You might as well get to know her. She's part of the family you're marrying into." Atta added.

"I wanted to double check with you first. Well, then I will see you all later then. It was nice to finally meet you, Ami and Tula." He kissed his future bride's hand and waved at the rest. His friends all said their goodbyes and checked them out one more time before departing.

Tula laughed and enjoyed the attention. However, Ami was getting irritated with the whole male population. All three ladies turned to Trisc, who was still standing with them.

He seemed to take the hint. "Well, I will leave you ladies to your shopping. Can I see you later, Ami?"

"Um, I am not sure what my schedule is going to be in the near future. But I will let you know when I'm free." Ami sighed.

It must have satisfied him. "Sounds good. I'll see you later than. It was nice to see you again Tula and Atta."

"Bye." They said at the same time as he walked away.

"He's very cute," Tula admired him.

"You both can do better." Atta stated.

"You don't like him?" Ami questioned. She already did not think very highly of Trisc, and it would make it easier on her if Tula was not a fan of his either.

"I don't dislike him, well I didn't before; I do now." Atta explained.

"How come?" Tula asked curiously.

"Well, I knew he was a bit of a ladies' man. I guess I didn't realize how much. Since he reached warrior status, he became really cocky and a bit of an arrogant jerk."

"That explains a lot." Ami nodded.

"And he was seeing a friend of mine, and we all thought it was serious. But apparently he was just sampling. And has been with a lot of girls." Atta shook her head at the thought. "Listen, I need to go see a healer really quick. I have some questions on a bending technique. I can meet you at the end of the market in fifteen minutes."

"Yeah, we'll meet you down there." Ami agreed.

As soon as they were on their own, Tula voiced a thought. "I know you may not be happy to hear this, but you might want to think about moving on in our quest. We have six more ports to get to, and get home, before winter sets in."

Ami sighed, "as much as I don't want to admit it, you're right." She smiled at her friend whom was sticking out her tongue. "I've been able to learn so much about my mom, dad, Ty, and the rest of the family. It's hard to leave."

"If we stay much longer it's going to be harder to _catch up_ with your mom, dad, and Ty. I was talking with Peto, and he said there is a chance that if they stop in Kyoshi, we might catch them on our way to Republic City." Tula explained.

"Really!? That's perfect!" Ami was wide eyed for more reasons than one. "You were _talking_ to Peto?"

"Relatively speaking." Tula grinned.

Ami rolled her eyes. "I will see if we can speak with the chief. We can ask if he can prepare a boat while I say goodbye to my family. And you can _relatively_ say goodbye to my cousin. But I haven't found a waterbending teacher yet."  
"Isn't Peto a waterbender? He's family, you can ask him to come."

Ami shook her head, "He already told me that he had duties here that he can't and won't leave. Are you only suggesting him because you are interested in him?"

"At first I was, but I don't see myself with him." Tula stated. "I promise I won't lead him on."

"Good. I don't want to disown you as my best friend when I just met my family. Nor do I need to deal with crazy family drama."

They made it down to the end of the market and found Atta already waiting for them. They completed their shopping and decided to head back to the palace. Peto met up with them and walk back to Motus' house after he spoke to the chief for Ami. He explained that the chief was in council with his advisors, but he passed along the request.

Later that evening after dinner, the whole remaining family was in the family room. They all sat on pillows with warm cups of wine or tea. There were going around sharing stories and joking and laughing with one another. Even Tula, as a firebender, felt right at home. Atta and Peto encouraged her to do a small demonstration of firebending. She made a small flame in her hand and explained how beneficial fire was to all life with its light, heat, and power. Being a firebender was a great blessing, but also a great burden. She understood that it fire was to be wielded with caution.

Her words helped put the older family members at ease and even respect the Fire Nation a little better. They still remembered the attack all those years ago and made a point to make sure it was never forgotten. But Tula helped them see that not everyone in the Fire Nation was guilty of the pain and destruction caused by others.

Everyone was comfortable around Tula, and that was wonderful. But Motsu opened up a whole new can of worm guppies. And the new found peace did not last.

"A young man came to me today, asking for permission to court you, Amisis." Motsu explained. "I told him it was not out of the question, but we must wait to hear from your father to make any long term agreements."

"Excuse me? Who asked permission to court me?" Ami asked dumbfounded.

"A warrior by the name of Trisc."

Everyone looked at him and then at Ami waiting to see how the conversation would move forward. The older members of the family were pleased by the news. Atta and Peto did not seem fazed by it but were curious about how their cousin would handle it. Tula was utterly shocked.

"That was fast," Tula stated.

"I thought I was waiting until I met my parents and brother for the first time in six years, before considering marriage?" Ami was once again using diplomacy in order to remain calm and keep this topic in her favor. It probably was not a good idea to murder a warrior in cold blood of a nation she was trying to make amends.

"I did inform him of that, and suggested he speak to Hahn when he returns." Motsu waved away her concern. "However, he would be an excellent choice for a husband. I gave him my permission to call on you."

"Well," Ami began but her grandma cut her off.

"Again, having just met our granddaughter, I do not wish to share our time with her with a future husband just yet. Amisis, would you consider staying with us for the duration of stay?" Rena inquired.

Everyone was staring at her again. "Under normal circumstances, I would jump at the opportunity to stay with you. However, Tula and I will be returning to the ship tomorrow and heading south. We have six other stops to make and return to the Fire Nation before winter."

The room went quiet in disappointment.

"Can't you stay a few more days?" Rena begged. "You just got here."

It was tarring her up inside to break her grandmother's heart. "It took us a long time to find the city. Technically we didn't find it. The warriors found us and brought us here. We would probably still be searching if they hadn't boarded the ship."

"Or we might not have been able to stay," Tula chimed in. "We're sure we would have run out of fuel before we ever located the city."

"But I promise I will be back!" Ami reassured her family.

Rena was wiping away her tears on a white hanky. "We are so grateful that you came back, and just wish you could have an extended stay."

Ami agreed it would be awesome to stay. She could spend more time with her family, learn how to waterbend, and eventually her parents and brother would return. She shook her head, "we have to get back on schedule."

"Will you be back for Atta's wedding?" Nani asked hopefully. "It's at the end of the summer."

"I wouldn't count on it. I'm hoping we will be back next spring."

The rest of the night, everyone was trying to enjoy themselves. No one paid any attention to Atta, who was sitting quietly in the corner of the sitting room. She was sipping on her wine, pondering her own future. Sué had already left for the evening, thus freeing her mind. Her thought process was interrupted when a knock sounded on the door. Peto answered it and returned with Chief Arook.

"Good evening, Chief!" Motsu stood and invited him to join them. Atta retrieved him a pillow to sit on, and Nina warmed him some spiced wine.

"I cannot stay very long," the chief gratefully accepted the glass. "I'm sorry I was not able to speak with you sooner, Ami."

"Oh not a problem!" Ami shook her head. "I wanted to speak to you about arranging a boat to take Tula and I to the ship."

"You are leaving so soon?" Chief Arnook looked surprised.

Before either Tula or Ami could explain, Motsu took charge and spoke on their behalf. Normally, Ami would be annoyed at this, because she was used to being in control. However she was becoming tired of explaining the plan.

When Motsu did not have any more answers, Ami stepped in. "Once we get back to the Fire Nation and give a full report, we can submit a proposal to escort the first ship of merchants here. If all goes well, hopefully we will be here late next spring. As far as I know, no other Fire Nation Ship should be coming this way. If they do, they should have the official seal of the Fire Lord. If they don't have one, they're not affiliated with the Fire Nation."

"Alright, that is good to know. We will begin the construction of the trade post very soon. I left a meeting to come here, and they are discussing the possible blueprints as we speak."

"That's wonderful! I can make sure to put that in the report."

The chief finished off his cup and stood, and so did Ami. "It seems I have a little more to accomplish before I retire for the night. I will make the arrangements and send someone to retrieve you and your family when the boat is ready." Chief Arnook said, and he hugged her. "Thank you for all you have done." He whispered. It was everything she could do to keep herself form tearing up.

When they broke apart, the chief asked. "Is there anything else you need in order to continue your journey?"

Ami perked up at the question. "Actually there is. I was unsuccessful in finding a teacher for my bending. And I saw some children practicing with scrolls healing and sparing. Where can I find them?"

"I can find some for you, not a problem. Well then, goodnight all. See you in the morning." The chief waved as he left.

It was not too much longer after that Ami and Tula were having trouble keeping their eyes open, as was everyone else. Peto and Atta took them back to the palace, and they passed out on their beds.

The next morning, they packed up their belongings while they waited for the boat. Once it was ready, the whole family, the chief, Sué, and much to Ami's disappointment, Trisc, had come to send them off.

At Motsu's approval, Trisc pulled Ami aside for a private moment. He gently held her hand and tried to interlock their fingers. "Perhaps when you return in the spring we can spend more time together. Or I can meet you in the Fire Nation before winter."

She needed to nip this in the bud. She looked over her shoulder and saw that most of her family was watching. "Trisc, I am flattered, but I am not looking for a relationship at the moment. My priority is to fulfill my duties as an Ambassador, and to find my parents and brother."

Trisc looked taken aback at her rejection. Clearly this was a new experience for him. "I see. Well maybe once you find them and come back north we can spend some time together."

"Possibly. It was nice to meet you, and enjoy your summer." She smiled at him and let go of his hand. Her whole family was hoping to hear the conversation and adverted their eyes as soon as she turned around.

Tula and Peto were saying goodbye to each other. The look on her friend's face, Ami was wondering who was dumping who. Motsu was speaking to the Chief, Atta was standing next to Sué, and the rest of the family was waiting for their turn to talk to say goodbye.

Chief Arnook addressed her first. "I took the liberty of asking a few of our masters to travel with you. Unfortunately, none of them wish to travel or have made previous commitments." Ami's hopes were dashed as soon as they made. "So I want to give you these. They are my family's bending scrolls. There are scrolls for: fighting offensively and defensively, freezing water, building and sculpting, healing, even bloodbending."  
Ami was shocked. "Are you sure you want me to barrow them?"

The Chief nodded. "Scrolls are passed down by the father's family. Yue was my only child and I have no one to give them too. I would be honored for you to accept them."

"Thank you very much, for your generosity and hospitality." Ami wanted to cry again, but a new concern arose. "Who then will be the next chief?"

"My nephew from my sister will take over when the time comes. He is one of my advisors and has fully supported any of my decisions. I have complete faith in him that he will continue to move the Northern Water Tribe forward and maintain the peace between us and the Fire Nation. You may not have met him. His wife will be bearing their first child at any time, and she has been resting in bed for a week. He has only left her side when you were first brought to the city for an emergency meeting, and when his wife wished to briefly attend the celebration."

"When I return, I would love to meet him." She stated and he agreed.

Turning to her family, she hugged her aunt and uncle, Atta and Sué, and finally the grandparents. "Thank you for everything. I'm already counting the days till I come back."

"Take care, dear. I wanted to give you this." Rena smiled and handed her a gift wrapped in cloth. "I wanted to give it to you six years ago. It's probably a little juvenile, but I wanted you to have it just the same."

It was a small silver hair comb, decorated with various sizes of deep sea urchin shark pearls.

Rena pulled out a second piece of cloth and held it out to Tula. "I have one for you as well. Now all of my granddaughters have one."

Tula graciously accepted and hugged the woman, who was tearing up again as she patted her back.

Motsu cleared his throat and broke the moment. "We can't wait to have you back, Amisis, and Tula. When you return, we will need to settle this marriage business as soon as possible."

"There is a lot to settle before the spring." Ami replied. She stepped back and spoke to everyone. "I love you all, and see you again soon!"

Peto helped the ladies into the boat that was already loaded with their belongings. He was in command of his fellow warriors, giving them the instructions to push off. Trisc was annoyed at this. He was older, had more experience as a warrior, and had become possessive of Ami. Peto ignored him as they pushed off and left the city. Chief Arnook had put him in charge. No matter how much brooding Trisc did would change that. Ami was his cousin, he felt protective of her and his brief romance with Tula made him feel happily responsible for her wellbeing until they left the north.

Puka must have had someone on the lookout for them. Once the ship was in sight, the bell sounded and the crew started to get to their stations. This sent everyone on the small war boat on edge, thinking there may be trouble.

Once they approached the side of the ship, the waterbenders made an ice anchor, attaching to the ship. Then they created stairs for Ami, Tula, and Peto.

Puka was waiting for them on deck and greeted them warmly and shook hands with Peto. "I was starting to wonder when you would be returning."

"We had some loose ends to tie up," Tula tried to sound innocent.

"Shopping does not count as loose ends," Puko noticed the extra bags Peto was carrying for Tula and Ami.

"I just wanted to spend a little time with my family," Ami clarified. She turned to her cousin and accepted the bags from him. She set them down on the deck and hugged him tight. "Take care, of you and the family."

He returned the hug. "You as well. And don't worry about Trisc, I'm sure that he will find himself married before you come back."

"What do you mean?" Ami tried to act dumb.

Peto raised an eyebrow at her. "I've known him for a long time. And he may talk a big game, but I know he is nothing to worry about. Besides, it's not up to grandpa to decide who you marry." Ami was relieved to hear that. "It's ultimately Uncle Hahn."

She sighed. "Well, I'm not marrying anyone right now. Nor will I marry someone that I have not approved because others say I should. So tough to everyone who thinks others wise."

Peto softly smiled and hugged her one more time. "Good luck with everything, don't forget to practice your bending. When you get back we can spar."

"That sounds like a challenge." Ami smirked. "Thank you and see you then!"

Tula walked over to Peto blushing. She whispered something in his ear and kissed his cheek. He looked down at her, smiled and kissed her cheek as well. She picked up her extra bag and stepped back next to Ami.

Peto addressed Puka with an advising tone, but not insulting. "We will push off from the ship and be heading back to the city right away. If you are capable of navigating by the stars, it's easier to travel at night once you get out of the icebergs. I would leave in the next couple hours to get out of ice and you will be safe for the nighttime navigation."

Puka nodded and accepted the suggestion. "Thank you."

As soon as he was back safely on the boat, Peto gave the commands and they were on their way. Puka explained that they were going to follow Peto's suggestion. As soon as the ship was ready to go in an hour, they would be on their way. Little did they know that they would be acquiring an unexpected passenger before they were out of the northern waters.


	11. Chapter 10

Dear Readers,

So obviously I have not uploaded anything for this story in quite sometime. I'm currently going through some serious writers block on this story. I've turned my attention to my other project More to The Story. It's a Harry Potter/Hobbit crossover. I promise that I will continue and finish To Fill the Void but for now, my focus is on the other. Thank you for your patience!

Love,

Sally


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